


bring out the worst in me

by gravitropism



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, But Only a Little Bit - Freeform, Chinguline (EXO), Dacryphilia, Multi, Prostitution, Teacher-Student Relationship, there are only mentions of kaisoostal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 06:22:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gravitropism/pseuds/gravitropism
Summary: It was just one time, and yet for Jongdae it’s that one time that ruins everything.





	bring out the worst in me

**Author's Note:**

> h i t h e r e this was originally going to be darker but brooke suggested that i just make it awkward instead, so that's what i did. marine, thanks for letting me complain about this lol.
> 
> All sex is consensual. Title from Worst in Me by Unlike Pluto. Chinguline is all that matters.

“You could always get a sugar daddy,” Baekhyun says, propped up on a fist. They’re sitting at Jongdae’s kitchen table, it’s two in the morning, and they’re coming down from a high.

Jongdae frowns, eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling. “I don’t wanna, though.” He can feel himself starting to get sleepy. Are Baekhyun and Kyungsoo going to ask to stay over again? He thinks he might have another blanket somewhere. Last time Kyungsoo bitched for hours about being cold even though it’s summer.

Kyungsoo, whose forehead is resting on the table, makes a noise somewhere between a snort and a cough. “Shut up, Baek. The joke was only funny the first seven times you made it.”

“I wasn’t kidding, though. You could totally get a sugar daddy. Your ass is hella nice, man.”

Jongdae manages to summon up enough energy to move his head to look at him. “I’m so flattered, Baekhyun, but like there’s that problem where you’re straight, and I don’t know if you’re kidding or being serious, and anyway how am I supposed to trust your judgement, you know? You’re straight, and is a girl’s ass to be held to the same standards as a dude’s ass? Like, I don’t know what you look for in an ass--”

Kyungsoo flails an arm around in Jongdae’s general vicinity, managing to hit him a couple times. “Shut the fuck up, seriously dude. You’re rambling again.”

“Sorry,” Jongdae says carelessly. “Though I still don’t know how I’m going to make rent this month and still manage to eat.”

“You’re lucky I’m a kindhearted soul who shares his weed,” Kyungsoo grumbles. “If I wasn’t a dealer, you would have been dankrupt for years.” Kyungsoo keeps his business small, but he still makes enough money out of it that he’s willing to share, the dear.

“I still say get a sugar daddy,” Baekhyun says, and stands up. He stretches. “Is there pizza left? I’m hungry.”

“I swear to fuck, Baekhyun, you had an entire pizza to yourself earlier.”

Kyungsoo is right: Baekhyun is a greedy shit. But he has a point. Somehow Jongdae has to get money. He already has a job, and he doesn’t really have time to get another one (especially with the new semester starting soon) and still keep up with his senior level coursework. And tuition is due next week, and after Jongdae pays that and rent, he’ll be close to flat broke.

So either he finds a way to make money, or he starves. He can’t keep depending on Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, or his roommate Junmyeon, to feed him. That just isn’t fair.

Maybe he should start brainstorming, or something. Getting a sugar daddy can’t be his only option.

\--

Two nights later, Jongdae is lying slumped on the couch in his apartment with his phone in his hand. His shift at the restaurant was brutal – a 10 top had walked in just as they were about to close, so he had to stay later than he normally would. And they gave a shit tip, which sucks, because it means he’s not any closer to getting the money he needs.

Jongdae chews on his lip, thinking back to his conversation with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo earlier on in the week. If he can’t get this money by having a totally legal, paying job, maybe he will have to get a sugar daddy. Although, he doesn’t think that kind of relationship would amount to enough food to keep him going on a daily basis, unless of course the guy paid hourly...

Plus there’s that part where he doesn’t want to have sex repeatedly with some creepy weird old dude. Yeah, that would be a bit of a problem.

He sighs, and props his feet up on Junmyeon’s coffee table. Okay, if getting a sugar daddy is out of the question, what else could he do? He’s not totally averse to having sex with someone, as long as that someone is young and reasonably attractive.

Jongdae stops that thought in its tracks. Isn’t that technically prostitution? Having sex with someone for money? Yeah, that’s like exactly the definition of prostitution.

But what if he only does it once? He could get by on like, what, two or three hundred? And then he’d have enough money from his restaurant job to carry him the rest of the way through the year. He might have to pick up a few extra shifts at first, but that’s totally doable.

Okay, solid plan. Jongdae mentally pats himself on the back in congratulations on such a solid plan. Now the question is, how does he go about finding someone to have sex with that’s willing to pay him at least $250?

He’s scrolling through Instagram twenty minutes later when it hits him. Grindr, duh. Where else do guys go to have sex with each other? As long as he’s careful, and as long as nobody tries to arrest him or mug him, it’ll be fine. Meeting with a stranger on the internet and getting paid to have sex with him sounds like a totally legitimate plan.

Of course, now that Jongdae has thought it through, it sounds like a shitty plan, but maybe he’ll get lucky. He just won’t take anything valuable with him.

Hitting the home button on his phone, Jongdae swipes through page after page of applications. He really needs to get rid of some of these; a few of them he doesn’t even remember downloading. But he definitely got Grindr like a year ago, it should be here somewhere...

There! Jongdae clicks on the app with some trepidation. He remembers opening it but deciding not to make an account, which seems to be right, as he’s immediately directed to create a profile. Pictures, he needs pictures...

Scrolling through his camera roll, he selects a shot of him shirtless at some pool that Baekhyun must have taken over the summer. He’s not particularly buff, but muscled enough that someone will be into that, right? The sun in the photo gives his skin a pleasant glow, so that has to count for something.

He inputs his age, an ID, and a basic bio, and presses the button to put up his profile. Not really wanting to look at others at the moment, he exits the app and goes back to Instagram. There. Step one complete. He can worry about the rest tomorrow.

\--

Jongdae wakes up at 10 am on Friday morning to his phone alarm buzzing. His shift at the restaurant starts at noon, so he has plenty of time to shower.

Reaching over to silence the alarm, Jongdae yawns and scratches his lower belly. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had tentative plans to hang out tonight, but he isn’t so sure he’ll be awake enough after his shift.

He rolls over to look at his phone. A few texts, some Twitter push notifications, and, surprisingly, something from Grindr. Well. That’s not something that can be dealt with if he doesn’t have breakfast in his stomach, so Jongdae gets out of bed, joints cracking as he goes.

A bowl of cereal in hand, he takes a seat on the couch in his boxers. He swipes the Twitter notifications away; they’re useless. The texts are from Kyungsoo and Baekhyun wanting to hang tonight. And then there’s the Grindr notification.

Jongdae hesitantly clicks on it, and the app opens up. He’s got about five new messages.

The first of the messages is from what Jongdae assumes is a spam account. The dude’s bio picture looks like he got it from off google, and the stats shown are way too generic and boring. He deletes the message and moves onto the next.

This one is from a guy who looks to be at least twice, if not three times Jongdae’s age. His profile says 45, but he’s definitely lying. Creepy, and not what Jongdae wants to do. He deletes this message without looking at it.

The third message is from some guy about his age wearing an awful lot of makeup. He’s posing for a mirror selfie in a pair of boxer briefs that show off a particularly round ass. While Jongdae commends his skills in both selfie taking and in makeup, someone that age spending that much on makeup probably doesn’t want to pay for sex. He doesn’t delete this message, but he doesn’t reply, either.

His stomach grumbles, so he takes a brief break to shovel cereal into his mouth.

Message number four is a dick pick. Jongdae stares at the offending image for a few moments in horror, trying to determine if the rash he sees is herpes or razor burn. He’s really not sure, but he deletes the message before he has to think too hard.

Five looks promising. The sender is a distinctly decent-looking guy who’s 31, has an adorable golden retriever, and from the shirtless photo he’s provided, is well on his way to a six pack. Jongdae licks his lips. This would be ideal. Not only is the guy hot, but he’s at about the right age to actually have enough money to be able to afford what Jongdae wants to be paid. Also, he seems to be tall. Jongdae is into tall boys.

He opens this message.

_That picture of you is cute_   
_Youre not a bot right?_

The man sounds like such a sweetheart. Jongdae can’t wait to have sex with him.

_thanks and no im not_

To his surprise, he gets an almost immediate reply. Great, that’s exactly what Jongdae wanted. To have to face his problems bright and early in the morning. Because Jongdae is such a morning person.

_Is that a recent pic?_

Jongdae snorts, and spoons another mouthful of cereal in before replying.

_yeah my friend took it at the pool like a month ago_   
_i have had a haircut since tho_

He pauses for a second before adding,

_do you want a selfie right now to prove it lol_

_Yeah sure if you send one i’ll send one back_

Jongdae scratches his head; he needs a way to prove he didn’t get the image off google.

_what should i be doing in the picture_

_Um do a v over your adams apple_

_okay_   
_you do it too when you send yours_

Jongdae brings up the camera app on his phone. The lighting isn’t too great right now; Junmyeon hadn’t bothered opening their blinds when he left the apartment this morning, so he gets off the couch to go do that himself. He checks out his hair: it’s not terrible, but it definitely screams ‘I just woke up,’ which isn’t exactly a bad thing. Jongdae thinks he looks quite fuckable first thing in the morning.

Stumbling back to the couch, he plops down and tries to get a good angle. Wait. What if he took a nude selfie, but did a cheeky conveniently placed leg to cover up his dick? Jongdae applauds his own intelligence and drops his phone to strip off his boxers. The thought of sending a nearly nude selfie to a total stranger is... actually sort of arousing.

It’s quite a feat, but he manages one hell of a cheeky selfie. He slips his boxers back on before sending it, though, in case Junmyeon decides to come home suddenly and see him with his bare ass on their couch. He would honestly never be forgiven. Junmyeon is painfully straight.

He sends the selfie, along with:

_enjoy ;)_

The reply this time isn’t particularly quick, so Jongdae realizes the guy must be staring at the majesty that is his picture. Jongdae won’t lie, he’s a little confident.

_Fuck you’re hot_

If the dude was ten years older, it would be weird, but. In this situation he supposes that it’s okay.

_now wheres mine ;D_

The guy takes another few minutes to send a shot of himself, with the requested ‘V.’ He’s shirtless, but wearing a pair of pajama pants. However! Jongdae can clearly see the guy’s hard dick through the thin material. It’s on the large side. Not too big, because heaven knows Jongdae doesn’t want to be limping for days afterwards, but just large enough to hit him where it counts.

_nice_

He gets a reply a few seconds later.

_Yeah now i have to deal with this_   
_Anyway what are you looking for_

Jongdae chews on his lower lip. He could lie and say he’s looking for a long term relationship, because man would he love to have one with this guy, but he decides to tell the truth anyway.

_honestly i need some extra cash to make rent this month_

_Seriously_

_yup i have a job but its not gonna cover both rent and food this month_

Perhaps what he needs is to create feelings of pity. If the guy pities him enough, maybe he’ll agree to pay him for sex.

_Well im not just going to give you the money_

Jongdae laughs. No, of course not. But that’s okay.

_oh of course not_   
_we can fuck obviously_

His phone buzzes, but his cereal is getting soggy, so he quickly finishes it off before checking his phone again.

_Normally i wouldnt do something like this_   
_But hear me out_

_ok?_ he types out. Sure, ‘normally he wouldn’t do this.’

_This might be a little personal a little too fast but_   
_My wife cheated on me a while ago_   
_Were getting divorced_   
_But i want to get a little revenge_

Jongdae cackles. Oh, this is beautiful.

_i see where this is going_   
_yeah ill totally fuck you_   
_as long as you pay me_   
_seriously i wanna eat this month_

The guy replies fairly quickly.

_Nice_   
_How much?_

Jongdae sits back. How much should he ask for? Obviously enough to get him through the month. Three hundred would probably cover it.

_300_

_Ill give you 250_

Scowling, Jongdae types his reply.

_dude_

_What about 275_

_seriously_   
_300 and ill let you fuck my mouth_   
_imagine me crying around your dick_   
_a mans gotta eat okay_

_Alright sorry youre right  
Yeah ill pay 300_

Jongdae drops his phone on the couch and punches the air. Fuck yes. That was easier than he had expected it to be. He then slumps, remembering he still has to go through the process of getting fucked by this guy. Jongdae doesn’t even know his name yet. Which is a good point.

_whats your name_   
_im jongdae_   
_if were gonna fuck i should at least know that_

_Haha good point_  
Its Chanyeol  
When and where do you want to meet  
I want to fuck at my place but  
Its probably better for both of us to meet in public 

_i dont have work on sunday night_  
would that be okay  
also a bar would be good maybe?  
i am actually 21 you can check my id 

_Yeah sunday night is fine  
How about 10pm at crazy horse_

_fine by me_  
see you then  
ill come showered and ready ;) 

_Jesus  
See you_

Jongdae sets his phone down and exhales. Everything is set up, now he just needs to muster up the courage to actually do it. Talking is one thing, actually going and meeting the guy is another. But he seems okay and not a total creep? It’ll be fine. It may technically be prostitution, but it’s just one time.

Stretching, he gets up from his spot on the couch and takes his empty cereal bowl into the kitchen. He has work in an hour, and he still needs to jerk off in the shower.

\--

Somehow Jongdae manages to gather the energy to hang with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun after his shift. He still smells like restaurant food, but he can’t be bothered to shower if it’s just his two friends.

This time they’re at Baekhyun’s apartment. Jongdae knocks loudly on his front door, shifting the bag in his right hand to his left. When he closes at the restaurant, they’ll give him leftover food, which happens to be perfect for nights when they get high and don’t really care what goes into their mouths.

Kyungsoo answers the door, his eyes already a little red. “I got a new bong and it’s great,” he says, turning and immediately walking away.

Jongdae rolls his eyes and toes off his shoes. “You guys couldn’t wait for me to get blazed? I even brought food.”

Baekhyun gives a little wave from his spot slumped on his sofa. “I’m still on my way up; you didn’t miss much,” he grunts, shifting to make room for Jongdae, who plops down next to him. “What did you bring us this time, you beautiful goddamn fairy?”

“I’m not sure if you meant that as a gay slur or not,” Jongdae comments, opening his bag and removing the takeaway boxes, “but either way I have fries, like four burgers, and a bunch of wings. The sauces are mixed together, though.”

“You’re my beautiful food fairy,” Baekhyun says, nuzzling into his shoulder. “Now hurry up and take a few hits so we can eat.”

Kyungsoo ambles over, the new piece in his hands. “Seriously, you gotta try this, man. I’ll pack you a bowl.” He sits down across from them at Baekhyun’s weird circular coffee table, and proceeds to mash weed into the bowl of a pretty speckled glass bong.

“What’s going on with you guys?” Jongdae asks. “I’m fucking tired of talking to my stupid coworkers; it’s like they only have half a brain between them.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Jesus fuck, dude, is it really that bad?”

“Goddamn right it is,” Jongdae sighs. “They’re ridiculous. Way too much drama.”

“Fuckin’ sucks,” Baekhyun says, popping open one of the boxes to steal some fries. Jongdae’s mouth waters; the smell is amazing even if they are a little cold. “I haven’t been up to much. What about you, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo pauses where he’s sitting. “I want to fuck Soojung.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Jongdae asks, “Isn’t she dating that hot dancer kid? Jong-something?”

“Jongin Kim, yes,” Kyungsoo sighs. “That’s the problem. Doesn’t stop me from wanting, though.”

Baekhyun laughs. “I don’t blame you, man, she’s pretty hot.” Ah, but Jongdae knows Kyungsoo better than that. He puts on a cold front, but he’s a romantic at heart.

Kyungsoo sighs again, and Jongdae grins. Here it comes. “But she’s not just hot, her personality is just... I dunno, she seems like an ice queen at first but once you get to know her she’s really not.”

“And you find that hot,” Baekhyun concludes. “Of course you do.”

“Fuck off,” Kyungsoo snaps, and passes Jongdae the bong and a lighter. Jongdae tunes the sound of their bickering out while he takes one hit, smoke spiraling out of his mouth, and then another. He coughs a few times, but it’s not bad.

“Damn, than is smooth,” he says, interrupting their argument. “Where’d you get this, Kyungsoo?”

“What, the weed or the bong?”

“The bong, dumbass, I already know where you get your weed.”

“Oh, right.” Kyungsoo burps quietly, then lies back on Baekhyun’s carpet. “I got it from some dude I found on Instagram. It was a little expensive but totally worth it.”

Jongdae can already feel his face starting to droop. “Oh fuck yes.”

“See?”

Baekhyun is rustling around in the bag of food again, this time pulling out the box with the burgers. “Can I eat two of these?”

Jongdae decides one last hit will be enough to finish off the bowl, so he lights it up and takes the hit. Fuck, normally he has a coughing fit, but this piece really does the trick.

“Jongdae. Can I eat two of these?”

He looks up from where he’s been watching the smoke billow across the room. “Huh?”

“There are four burgers. Can I have two?”

Jongdae shrugs. “I don’t care; it’s your heath. I already ate at the restaurant, so just save me some wings for later. Kyungsoo, you can have some if you want.”

He glances over. Kyungsoo is currently curled up, kind of like a cat, on the rug. He’s staring dreamily at the ceiling. “Kyungsoo, if you’re thinking about Soojung, please stop. As gay as I am, I really don’t want to watch you get a boner. And I’m sure Baekhyun wouldn’t appreciate it, either.”

Kyungsoo makes a shushing noise. “It’s all about the juxtaposition of inner and outer personality,” he says, and Baekhyun throws a fry at him. It hits his hip, and he picks it up off the ground and eats it. Jongdae giggles. Five second rule.

Oh! Right, he should tell them about Grindr dude whose name probably starts with a... okay Jongdae can’t really remember right now, but as soon as he musters up enough energy to get his phone out of his pocket, he’ll check. “Hey, guys,” he says, scooting around to get comfortable. “I need to tell you something.”

“Did you meet the girl, I mean boy of your dreams?” Kyungsoo sighs happily, now flat on his back.

“Am I the only one here who doesn’t have a love interest?” Baekhyun groans. He grabs onto Jongdae’s arm and clings. “This is awful. Break up with them immediately.”

Jongdae waves a hand. “No, I’m not dating anyone. I just found a solution to my money problem.”

Baekhyun cracks a grin. “Did you get a sugar daddy?”

“Okay, it’s not a sugar daddy. I just found some dude on Grindr who’s willing to fuck me for $300,” Jongdae explains, “Not a sugar daddy, because it’s only happening once.”

“It’s awfully similar,” Baekhyun grumbles quietly.

Kyungsoo makes a thoughtful noise. “Isn’t that technically prostitution?” he asks.

Jongdae winces. He’s still having a little trouble justifying it himself. “I mean, yes, but I’m only going to do it once, and it’s not like he’s ugly or gross. I talked to him a little; he’s trying to get revenge on his wife that he’s divorcing or something. I gotta eat, okay.”

With what looks like a momentous amount of effort, Kyungsoo sits up. “Look. I’m not going to say don’t do this. But if you really don’t want to, you can always back out, and I’ll lend you the money or something. You don’t have to.”

Shrugging, Jongdae says, “Honestly, even if I didn’t need the money, I’d probably fuck him anyway. The cash is just a bonus. He’s nice and also attractive.”

Kyungsoo lifts a brow. “Alright, as long as you’re sure.”

“Yeah, seriously,” Baekhyun says, audibly swallowing. Jongdae looks over; half of the burger is already gone, along with a decent portion of the fries. “We got your back, man.”

“I appreciate that, guys,” Jongdae half-laughs. “Neither of you wants to fuck me, though, right?”

“Bro, I love you, but not like that,” Baekhyun snickers, before stuffing his face again. Kyungsoo just rolls his eyes, and Jongdae settles down for another night of intoxication and good company.

\--

Jongdae gets off work on Sunday at 5pm. He’s already got the jitters as he clocks out, and he takes a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Shorty got a date tonight? How’d you manage that?” comes a voice. It’s one of his obnoxious coworkers, some gossipy bitch who thinks thin eyebrows are still a trend. Jongdae hates people who do makeup on Instagram, but even he knows better.

He smiles sweetly at her. “Fuck off, Brittney. Just because nobody wants your ugly ass doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t get some.”

Predictably, Brittney’s eyes narrow. “I’m telling Kate.”

“Ooh, I’m so scared. She’s more likely to fire you than me.” Kate is the restaurant’s manager, and while she occasionally has to scold Jongdae for his mouth, she gets him. He does his job well, and she appreciates him for it.

Jongdae walks out of the restaurant with a grin on his face and a shot of courage in his veins. Perhaps this is an auspicious start to the night.

The bus comes in less than ten minutes, and he’s trudging up the steps to his apartment in another twenty. To his surprise, Junmyeon is actually there when he opens the door.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asks, removing his shoes and kicking them aside.

Junmyeon looks up. “Hmm? Oh, hey, Jongdae,” he says distractedly, typing something on his laptop. Junmyeon, unlike Jongdae and the rest of his literature-student friends, is a practical person, so he’s pre-med. And from what Jongdae has seen in the past, he’s one of the ones that will actually make it. “I’m just gathering some materials for my professor. We’re about to start a new round of surveys.”

Jongdae nods. “Right, well. I’ll leave you to it. Um. I’ll be going out tonight, and I’ll probably be back pretty late, so. Sorry if I wake you up or something.”

Not even pausing in his typing, Junmyeon shakes his head. “I doubt you’ll wake me. Just don’t get plastered. I have work to do tomorrow, and I can’t spend all night taking care of you.” He looks up and grins. “Though I know alcohol isn’t your drug of choice,” he says, fingers still moving.

Laughing, Jongdae sits on the arm of the couch. “You’ve got me there,” he admits, ruffling his greasy hair. “Let me know if you want to join us sometime. Kyungsoo just got a new bong, and it’s fucking great.”

Junmyeon sighs. “I would, but I have so much work to do. I’ll let you know if I’m free, though.” That’s a lie, Junmyeon’s ‘body is a temple.’ “Where are you going tonight?”

Jongdae decides that it’s probably best to keep quiet about what he’s actually going to do, so he just avoids the truth a little. “I’m going to meet someone at the Crazy Horse. We might have a few drinks, but since it’s a date-like situation, I’m probably not going to drink that much.”

“Yeah, getting plastered during a date usually isn’t the best idea,” Junmyeon chuckles, finally halting his typing. He picks up one of the many papers scattered around him, and scans it. “Well, don’t do anything stupid. Are you going to shower?”

Jongdae nods before he realizes that Junmyeon probably isn’t looking at him. “Yeah, I’m going to take a nap first, though. It’s, ah, best to shower right before. You know. Because.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widen. “Oh. Okay. Well. You, have fun with that?”

“I will,” Jongdae snickers, and leaves Junmyeon in their small living room. He wouldn’t make fun of him so much if it wasn’t so amusing.

In his room, he changes into something a little more comfortable, then collapses onto his bed. Setting an alarm for an hour later, he drifts off.

\--

After a productive shower, Jongdae actually gets out his hair dryer for once. If he’s going to be going to any sort of bar, he wants to at least look like he put in some sort of effort, too. He thinks he still has a tube of eyeliner somewhere.

Hair decent, Jongdae digs through the cabinet, and to his delight, there is indeed year-old eyeliner sitting in the back. Putting it on has always been a bit of a struggle, but it usually ends up being worth it in the end. As he carefully lines his upper lids, he does his best to keep his breathing even. He’s been trying to keep tonight out of his mind, but it’s getting to be around 8pm, and he has to accept his destiny sooner or later.

\--

Two hours and a pair of skintight jeans later, Jongdae is standing at the entrance to the Crazy Horse, phone in hand. He tugs his driver’s license out of his pants, and is waved in. It’s not exactly hopping inside, being a Sunday night, but there’s a decent number of people.

Sitting down at the bar, Jongdae whips out his phone. There’s no message from Chanyeol yet, so he sends one of his own. Hopefully the guy shows? Jongdae does actually need the money.

“Hey,” a low-ish voice says from behind him. He turns, and immediately has to look up. It’s obviously Chanyeol; looking significantly more polished than he had in his selfie on Friday, but still recognizable.

“You weren’t lying when you said you were tall on your profile,” Jongdae says, and immediately wants to take it back. All of the tall friends he’s ever had have been vaguely annoyed when people comment about their height. Which goes for the short people, too, but that’s a rant for another day.

Chanyeol slides onto the bar stool beside him. “I’m hoping that’s a good thing?”

Jongdae nods. “Tall is nice.” Crap, how do you start a conversation with someone who’s going to be fucking you for money later? “Um. Do you actually have a dog, as well?”

The dude’s face immediately lights up. “Yep, I do. Her name is Snickerdoodle and she’s my best friend. The wife wanted to take her, but since I’m her owner on paper, I get to keep her. I had her before I met the wife, anyway.”

“I’m happy for you,” Jongdae says, lifting an eyebrow. Chanyeol is... surprisingly wholesome. “I like dogs, but it’s kind of hard to have one when you’re a broke college student living in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets.”

“That’s a shame,” Chanyeol sighs, waving at the bartender, who ambles over. “Dogs provide significant support to humans’ mental health. There’s some study on it that one of my colleagues sent me, but I only got the major point, otherwise I’d quote it to you. I’m more of a numbers guy, see.”

“That’s... understandable. I’m pretty much exactly the opposite, actually. I’m into literature,” Jongdae says.  
Chanyeol nods. “What do you want to drink? Nothing with too much alcohol, if you don’t mind. It’s best to be sober for, well. You know.”

“That’s perfectly fine. I’ll just have whatever’s on tap.”

After ordering, Chanyeol turns back to Jongdae. “I didn’t realize just how weird it was going to be to talk like this.”

Jongdae laughs quietly. He’s glad he’s not the only one feeling the awkwardness. “You’ve got a point. Normally when I hook up with people in clubs, I do it after practically fucking on a dance floor.”

Chanyeol lifts an eyebrow. “You do that often?”

Shaking his head, Jongdae sets his phone down. “No, I don’t really have enough time to be having one-night stands every weekend. I’m usually pretty tired after working.”

“Sorry for presuming, then,” Chanyeol says, running a hand through his pushed-back hair. “Though I’m starting to get why you’re doing this.”

Jongdae smiles ruefully. “I’d really rather not end up too deep in debt.”

The bartender returns with their drinks, and they take a pause in their conversation to each take a swig. Jongdae would rather smoke, but the alcohol will make this a little easier. Not enough to get tipsy, just enough to loosen his tongue so the conversation comes smoother.

“This is good,” Chanyeol says as he sets his glass down, wiping a bit of foam off his upper lip. “I don’t know what it is, but I like it.”

Jongdae shrugs. “It’s okay. I’m honestly not much of a drinker.”

“Well, I wasn’t, until I found out my wife was cheating on me. The first few months after were rough, let me tell you.”

Jongdae is kind of curious, actually. What kind of guy gets married to a woman, finds out she is cheating, and decides to fuck a dude as revenge? “I bet they were. Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, why... me? Why are you getting revenge with me, and not a woman?”

To his relief, Chanyeol actually looks amused. “My wife was always a bit angry about my attraction to men. I consider myself to be bisexual, and she would get jealous any time I would even look at a guy. What better way to piss her off than actually act on it?”

“Fair enough,” Jongdae says, and takes another drink from his glass. “Okay, but why me specifically?”

Chanyeol shrugs. “You’re hot, and seem like a normal person.”

“How flattering.”

“No, I’m serious,” Chanyeol insists. “A lot of people put strange things up on their Grindr profiles, and I was tired of the dick picks. You covered your dick in the selfie you sent me. It was refreshingly different.”

Jongdae laughs, smacking Chanyeol’s thigh a few times for good measure. If they’re going to end up fucking, he should start the flirting now. He doesn’t have all night. “Okay, I’ll take normal as a complement, then. Did you enjoy the selfie, though?” he asks, keeping his hand on Chanyeol’s thigh.

Chanyeol’s eyes seem to darken. “Oh yes. That was very nice of you to send. I’m excited to see it in person.”

Jongdae smirks. “Are you.” He can work with that. “Did you jerk off after our conversation?”

“I think you already know the answer to that question. It’s a real pity I didn’t have a shot of your ass, though.”

This is going even better than Jongdae had planned. “Oh? And what would you do with a shot of my ass? If you fuck me well enough tonight, I’ll consider sending a picture to remember me by.”

Chanyeol sucks in a breath. “Noted. How about instead of sitting here and talking about it, we actually get to the doing part?”

Jongdae squeezes his thigh before retracting his hand. “You’ve got a good point. How are we getting there?”

“My house is a ten minute walk away? Or we could take an Uber, your choice.”

Standing, Jongdae swirls his glass. There’s about half of it left, so he drains the rest and sets it down. He’s not about to be wasteful. “We can walk, that’s fine by me.”

Chanyeol has already finished his drink, so he simply follows Jongdae out the door. He indicates they should cross the street. “I started renting my house when I started dating my wife, and so it, like my dog, is technically mine,” he explains, “It’s not particularly large, but it’s good enough for a college town.”

“That’s good,” Jongdae says, crossing once the light turns. “How’s your wife doing financially now, though?”

The other man shrugs. “I think she moved in with the guy she cheated on me with, though I doubt that’ll last,” he snorts. “I used to be a whole lot more angry about all of this, and now I’m ready to just piss her off as much as I can. Nothing she can take legal action for, of course, just little things.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Jongdae says, “Nice.”

They make the walk mostly in silence, with the occasional burst of small talk. Jongdae is beginning to think that he should have just shown up to the guy’s front door when they finally reach his house. Chanyeol fumbles with his keys for a bit before unlocking the door. He allows Jongdae to go in ahead of him, and follows after, locking the door. Jongdae slips off his shoes.

“Where’s the dog?” he asks, only vaguely curious. He looks around; the room they’re in is sparsely decorated, with only a few couches, a rug, and a strange painting on the wall.

“She’s in her crate for the night. Probably asleep by now,” Chanyeol says, removing his own shoes and dropping his keys on a table.

“Right,” Jongdae says, and stretches out his back a little. “Well, you can go ahead and do whatever you want with me now.”

Chanyeol lifts his eyebrows. “But you’ll tell me if you aren’t comfortable with something? I am paying you, but I’m not gross.”

“Sure,” Jongdae says easily. “I’m down for most things, though.”

“So if I asked you to blow me right now, would you?”

Jongdae takes a few steps to close the gap between them. “I’d do it, but don’t you think you should kiss me first?”

Chanyeol’s response is to wrap one of his large hands around the back of Jongdae’s neck and bring their lips together. He’s on the aggressive side, Jongdae realizes, and he has absolutely no problem with that. So he responds in turn, sinking his teeth into Chanyeol’s lower lip.

Which doesn’t go over well. Chanyeol proceeds to slam Jongdae into the nearest wall, causing Jongdae to let out a weak moan. “I’m surprised that you’re so eager to kiss me,” he says before continuing to press bruising kisses to Jongdae’s mouth.

When they come up for air, Jongdae manages to say, “I mean it does help that I find you insanely attractive.” Chanyeol just huffs, which Jongdae thinks might have been in amusement, and then presses him against the wall again. He shoves a thigh between Jongdae’s, and Jongdae can’t help but roll his hips against the pressure.

Jongdae’s hands, which have been on Chanyeol’s hips, are pried off and pinned to the wall. The noise he makes is swallowed by Chanyeol’s mouth on his. He can feel his own heart rate increasing, and he bets his ears are bright red.

Breaking away, Chanyeol clears his throat. “Let’s move this to my bedroom. I don’t want to wake Snickerdoodle.”

Jongdae lets his hands drop to his sides, and he grasps at the wall. “...yeah.”

“You nervous?” Chanyeol asks, looking mildly concerned as he strips himself of his light sweater.

Jongdae shakes his head. “No,” he says. His own thin t-shirt is beginning to stick to his back with sweat. “Um, how do I put this? I... haven’t had good sex in a while, and it seems like we’re compatible? Let’s just go to your bedroom.”

Chanyeol seems to hesitate, but he shrugs and leads the way up a half flight of stairs to the master bedroom, which is decently neat. It does have the look of a bachelor, however, and Jongdae can’t shake the feeling that something is missing.

Sitting down on the bed, Chanyeol gestures for Jongdae to come over. “How about I help you out of your shirt?” he asks, tugging on the hem.

Jongdae nods, and allows Chanyeol to push his shirt up his chest. “Is it better in person?”

Chanyeol’s eyes rake over the newly exposed skin. “Much.” His hands are strangely warm against Jongdae’s skin, and he can feel callouses from maybe playing the guitar? Chanyeol’s thumbnail flicks over a nipple, and Jongdae sinks his teeth into his own bottom lip.

He pulls his shirt the rest of the way off, brushing a hand through his hair before tossing the thing behind him. Both Chanyeol’s eyes and hands travel down to his hips, and Jongdae loves the way Chanyeol’s thumbs feel as they massage around the bone.

“Can I take this off, as well?” Chanyeol taps his belt buckle.

“Yeah, go ahead. You don’t have to ask,” Jongdae says unsure for a moment about what to do with his own hands. He settles for moving closer to Chanyeol in between his spread legs. 

Chanyeol smiles. “If you’re sure,” he says, and easily removes Jongdae’s belt, allowing it to drop to the floor with a clink. He then flicks open the button on Jongdae’s pants, tugs down the zipper, and shimmies them down a little. The pants are too tight for him to do anything more.

“Damn, you’re wearing underwear,” he sighs, and Jongdae laughs.

“What, were you hoping I wasn’t? You should have messaged me, I totally would have gone commando,” he says, bending down to tug the denim off his legs, his socks going with. In a few moments he’s standing there in only his underwear, and his hard-on from Chanyeol’s kisses is very visible.

“Would you really,” Chanyeol mutters, eyeing him in a distinctly greedy manner. “However, I believe you did say you would let me fuck your mouth, so...”

Jongdae grins. “A promise is a promise.” He doesn’t necessarily enjoy that process, preferring to give blowjobs at his own speed, but he’ll allow it.

Dropping to his knees, he fiddles with the zipper on Chanyeol’s jeans until the man takes pity on him and leans back, finally allowing Jongdae to pull out his dick out. He mouths at the tip, taking in the heavy, musky taste, and Chanyeol groans, long and loud.

“That’s it, come on,” he encourages, and Jongdae winks before taking Chanyeol in as far as he comfortably can, which is maybe two thirds of his cock? Chanyeol’s responding grunt is very encouraging, and he bobs his head for about a minute, taking advantage of the time to pull out a few tricks with his tongue.

Eventually Chanyeol’s hands come to rest in his hair and around the back of his neck, and he stands, his cock momentarily slipping out of Jongdae’s mouth. Jongdae chases it, and Chanyeol guides himself back inside. The weight of his dick rests heavily on Jongdae’s tongue.

“You ready, cutie?” Chanyeol grins, and Jongdae nods as much as he can. Starting out slow, Chanyeol begins to pump his hips into Jongdae’s mouth, and Jongdae does his best to breathe and not throw up. It’s not comfortable, but while Chanyeol is larger than average, he’s not monstrous. Definitely not the biggest Jongdae has ever come in contact with.

He’s getting a little lightheaded when Chanyeol pauses for a moment, most likely to allow him to catch his breath. Jongdae can feel his eyes starting to water a little, and he pants against Chanyeol’s thigh.

Chanyeol smacks his cheek with his cock. “Ready again?”

Jongdae swallows, bringing a hand up to swipe some of his drool away. The nerve of this man. “Getting comfortable, aren’t we?”

“You’re the one who said you would cry around my dick, so...” Chanyeol shrugs, his eyes dark, but his tone joking.

“Alright, jesus,” Jongdae grumbles, and opens his mouth again. Chanyeol takes the opportunity to thrust in hard, and Jongdae gags, but Chanyeol doesn’t hold up. He barely manages to get everything under control before Chanyeol continues at a rough pace. Jongdae doesn’t doubt that his voice will be totally ruined tomorrow, which will go over great with his boss at the restaurant.

Chanyeol pulls out to give him another brief respite before continuing. Unwilling tears escape from the corners of Jongdae’s eyes; he wouldn’t call it crying, but his eyes are definitely watering.

Jongdae moans; the sensation of Chanyeol using him for his pleasure is going to his head, and even with the heavy rhythm he manages to snake a hand down to press against his own dick. Chanyeol speeds up suddenly, getting a few lasts thrusts in before pulling Jongdae off his dick by his hair. A string of saliva connects the tip to Jongdae’s mouth, and Jongdae reaches a hand up to swipe it away and roughly brush the drool off his chin. He coughs. His entire face is wet with either sweat, tears, or spit.

“Was that a little rough?” Chanyeol says, a wicked grin on his face.

Jongdae scowls at him, but he supposed the effect is lessened, what with his still-watering eyes. “Not a problem,” he says, and clears his throat.

Chanyeol releases his hair, and Jongdae slumps, panting. The older man tuts at this and slips two fingers under his chin in order to tilt his face up. “You did cry, though.”

“I wouldn’t call it crying, exactly, but sure,” Jongdae rasps, and he clears his throat again. Truth be told, Chanyeol was a little rough, but who would Jongdae be if he didn’t like it a little rough?

“There are tears coming out of your eyes. I’d call it a success,” Chanyeol says, shrugging, and motions for Jongdae to stand, which he does, albeit on shaky legs. “You look wrecked already. I can’t wait to finish off the job.” Jongdae chews on his lower lip. He didn’t expect to be this aroused at the way Chanyeol is talking to him. “Why don’t I take these off?” Chanyeol continues, snapping the waistband of his boxers. Jongdae finds himself letting out a soft sound at the sensation, and he helps Chanyeol shimmy the material down his hips.

Chanyeol’s eyes rake down his body. “Like what you see?” Jongdae manages to croak out, quirking an eyebrow.

“I do. You look much better in person; that picture you sent didn’t really do you justice.”

Jongdae snorts. “I’ll have you know that my selfie skills are phenomenal.”

Chanyeol just gives him a look and pats his thigh. “Why don’t you have a seat, hmm?”

Turning, Jongdae complies. “Want me to call you daddy, too?”

He can feel Chanyeol’s chest rumbling against his back as he speaks. “That will not be necessary, thank you.” His big hands go to Jongdae’s thighs and he spreads them, fingers slowly creeping higher up. Jongdae’s breath hitches, and he can feel himself getting a little harder.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been with another man,” Chanyeol is saying, and Jongdae does his best to pay attention even with his hands running over his body. “This spring would have marked five years with my wife, and it’s been far longer since someone has fucked me.” He flicks his nail over one of Jongdae’s nipples, causing him to grunt.

“That’s a real shame,” Jongdae gasps, as Chanyeol finally grabs ahold of his dick. “Ooh, yeah that’s nice. Keep going.”

Chanyeol barks out a laugh. “I thought this was about me fucking you,” he says, and pushes Jongdae off his lap. “Get on the bed, you little shit.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Jongdae crawls onto the bed anyway, and gets comfortable while he watches Chanyeol remove his remaining clothing. He grins when Chanyeol’s dick comes into view again.

Chanyeol lifts his eyebrows at his expression. “What?”

Jongdae shrugs. “Your dick is like the golden ratio between ‘can’t walk the next day’ and ‘it’s all the way in?’”

“You’re really not a numbers person, are you?” Chanyeol sighs as he snags a tube of anal lubricant and a few condoms from the top of his dresser. He then climbs onto the bed, easily pushing Jongdae’s legs apart.

“Whaaat?” Jongdae whines, clutching at the sheets near his head when Chanyeol walks his fingers up his thighs.

“The golden ratio is for... you know what? Never mind. Not the time. I should just be glad that you’re appreciative of the size of my genitals.”

Chanyeol leans down to kiss him again, and any arguments Jongdae had forming (he’s a big fan of the playful banter during sex thing) are wiped from his head. Chanyeol kisses like a goddamn dream.

Jongdae gasps when Chanyeol’s fingers trace over his rim. “Did you finger yourself before coming here?”

“I douched, took a damn shower, and cleaned my asshole. Yes, I fingered myself. Really has been a while, huh?” Jongdae mutters.

“Okay, that was uncalled for,” Chanyeol says, and pushes two fingers in. Jongdae lets out a deep sigh; the sensation is incredible. “I was never this enthusiastic about it, because I always enjoyed the mechanics of being stretched.”

“I’m sorry that—ah, I’m sorry that I was trying to make it easier on you,” Jongdae snarks back. “Jesus fuck, can I get a little appreciation around here?”

“Am I paying you for sass?” Chanyeol snorts, inserting a third finger. One of Jongdae’s hands comes up to clutch at Chanyeol’s bicep, and he moans quietly, spreading his legs further to accommodate.

“If you want me to stop, I’ll stop,” Jongdae breathes, unsubtlety trying to rock on Chanyeol’s fingers. “But usually sass is an indication that I’m not being fucked hard enough.”

“Is that so,” Chanyeol murmurs. He drives his fingers in hard, and Jongdae moans louder this time. His fingers are a lot bigger than Jongdae’s, and it’s wonderful.

“Yep,” Jongdae says with as much force as he can manage, which honestly isn’t much. “You can put your dick in me now.”

“I could do that.”

“The real question is why you are waiting.”

Chanyeol laughs, withdrawing his fingers and wiping them on the sheets. He pauses. “I’ll do laundry tomorrow, it’s fine.” He then carefully rips open a condom package and rolls it on, jacking himself a few times. Jongdae does his best to make a ‘fuck me’ face to encourage him.

“Damn, you’re cute. Why don’t you have a boyfriend, again?”

Jongdae laughs quietly and spreads his legs further as Chanyeol climbs on top of him. They kiss, and it’s surprisingly sweet. “Too busy working and getting high with my friends. Haven’t really been putting in any effort to find anyone.”

“Do you get high with your friends a lot, then?”

Nodding, Jongdae wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, and Chanyeol takes advantage of the position to nip down his neck. “We’re close, one of them shares his weed. You’re not going to call the cops on me, are you?” Jongdae says with a wink.

“Well, given our current position, I’d say that would likely be a bad idea.”

“It would,” Jongdae grins, and brings him up for another kiss, this one more passionate and hurried than the last. “You want to get around to fucking me, or?”

Chanyeol sits up. “I suppose I could do that.” He slides his big hands down Jongdae’s waist to his hipbones, and tip-toes fingers from there to guide his dick to Jongdae’s hole. Jongdae’s cock twitches at the contact, and the grin makes a reappearance on Chanyeol’s face.

“Still eager?”

Jongdae nods. “Like I said, you’re hot, and not an asshole. So please, put that in me now.”

Chanyeol pushes in slowly, and Jongdae’s eyes roll back. The first contact is always the best for him, and the increasing fullness sends a spark up his spine. He lets out a soft ‘oh’ as Chanyeol’s hips meet his. It stings; it always does, but his nerves are on fire from Chanyeol’s teasing and the sensation has his back arching.

Skimming a hand up Jongdae’s stomach towards his ribs, Chanyeol stares at him with something akin to wonder in his eyes. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous. Why did I ever stop having sex with men?” he grits out, grunting when Jongdae incidentally clenches around him.

“Don’t know,” Jongdae mutters, wiping at the sweat on his forehead and pushing his hair back. “But please move. I can’t wait much longer.” And he really can’t. He needs this, in more ways than one.

Chanyeol rolls his hips forward, and Jongdae lets out a deep breath. “Ohh yeah, just like that.” Chanyeol nods, and slowly picks up his pace, keeping his thrusts even and consistent. He releases his grip on Jongdae’s hips to lean over Jongdae, caging his head in with his forearms on either side. Their faces are very close, but they don’t kiss. Chanyeol just hovers there, watching his face during every movement.

It’s intimate. Very intimate. Probably something you would rather do with a close partner, and not someone you’re hiring for the night. But Jongdae doesn’t turn away; if this is what Chanyeol wants, then dammit, he’s going to get it.

Their speed picks up, with Jongdae doing his best to grind into Chanyeol’s thrusts. The heat in the room is building, and Jongdae is sure his cheeks are bright. He brings a hand up to his mouth to try and stop some of the noises that are sure to be coming out soon, but Chanyeol just drags the hand down and continues. “I know you’re enjoying this,” he says, and his voice sounds deeper than before. “Can I hear it?”

Jongdae shakes his head slightly. He knows he can get loud, and some people don’t like that, but Chanyeol adds on a “Please?” and Jongdae gives up.

“Fuck,” he breathes, “Please, yes, more.”

Chanyeol pauses to sit back and pull Jongdae into his lap. They’re chest to chest, with Jongdae’s head hanging over Chanyeol’s shoulder, and Jongdae can hear the noises the other is making. They only serve to arouse him further, and he snakes a hand down to jerk himself off.

“Is it good like this?” Chanyeol asks, and Jongdae can only moan in reply. He’s nearing the edge, if Chanyeol could just... Jongdae shifts a little and.

“Ah—right there!” he gasps, fingers tangling in Chanyeol’s hair. “Please don’t stop, I’m gonna come.”

Chanyeol makes a low noise, and continues fucking into him at that exact angle. Jongdae convulses: the feeling is building in his groin, causing him to dig his nails into Chanyeol’s back.

He lets out a sob as he comes, his mind going blank for a moment. 

When he comes to after his brief moment of bliss, Chanyeol is gripping his hips and speeding up. He finishes with a deep moan, leaving them both desperately trying to catch their breath.

“Hold on,” Chanyeol says quietly, and lifts Jongdae up, allowing his dick to slip out. “Lay down and take a breather, alright?” Jongdae nods and allows himself to fall back against Chanyeol’s pillows, still panting. He touches his own stomach; he’s covered in his own cum. He assumes Chanyeol is getting up to toss away the condom, so he rearranges himself and gets comfortable.

Which is a good point. He has to leave sometime soon, because there’s no way he’s staying at this dude’s house overnight. Passionate, intimate sex aside, Jongdae is pretty sure he’s on the verge of overstaying his welcome.

Sitting up, he winces. That’s not a good feeling, and he’s already not looking forward to getting home. Hopefully there’s a bus that comes by here.

Chanyeol wanders off to the bathroom, and Jongdae stands up on shaky legs. His phone should still be in the back pocket of his jeans, on the floor near the foot of the bed.

“Tissues,” Jongdae mumbles to himself, looking around. “I can’t... I’ll take a shower when I get home.”

“Did you say something?” Chanyeol says, walking back into the room. He’s got a pair of boxers on, and he throws a damp towel at Jongdae, who nods in thanks and uses it to clean himself up a little. As long as he doesn’t stain his clothing. While he does this, Chanyeol climbs back into his bed, stretching his long arms over his head and yawning. “Your money is in the white envelop on the dresser,” he says. “Feel free to count it; I won’t take offense.”

Jongdae nods. “Thanks,” he croaks, throat still pretty rough. He pulls on his boxers, pants, and t-shirt, checking to make sure his phone is still in the pocket. It is, so he stumbles over to the dresser. The white envelope is there as promised, and inside is indeed $300 in twenties, as promised. 

“Um. Thanks for this,” Jongdae says, scratching his scalp. The dried sweat is itchy, and he’s really looking forwards to that shower and washing his face. “Hope you had a good time.”

“I did,” Chanyeol says quietly, looking like he’s about to fall asleep. “Damn, I should really escort you downstairs so you don’t steal anything, but you seem like the trustworthy type.”

Jongdae lets a chuckle escape. “Thanks. And, well, if I do, my full name is Jongdae Kim, so you can report me to the police.” He shuffles in place. “I’ll, uh, get going now, then,” he says, and walks out the door to Chanyeol’s bedroom before things can get awkward. Whipping his phone out, he checks for bus routes. If he hurries, he can catch one in about five minutes.

\--

So life is right again, for once. Jongdae can make rent, tuition, and pay for food. He texts Kyungsoo and Baekhyun in their group chat the next day as he’s lying in his bed.

_yooo guess who just fucked within an inch of his life_

He settles back and waits for a reply. Work starts in two hours, and he needs to... shower again, eat, and drink some tea for his throat before he goes.

Ksoo: _Did you have to tell us that_

_yes, yes i did :D_  
you guys need to be happy for me  
i can eat this month now 

Baek: _nice dude_  
should i be proud????  
is that a proud thing now

_yes def_  
well maybe not the prostitution  
but the eating is important 

Ksoo: _Fair enough there  
Remember the soojung thing_

Baek: _yes lol_

Ksoo: _Fuck off  
Anyway i got her number_

_seriously?_

Kyungsoo goes on to describe some situation the two had at some meeting, and Jongdae is proud of him, honestly. But it’s weird, he thinks to himself. He actually had a decent time with Chanyeol. Yeah, sure, the ending was awkward, but if Chanyeol had been a normal dude in a bar, Jongdae totally would have gone home with him, even without the monetary benefit.

Which, of course, the monetary benefit was very nice. Jongdae should probably deposit that in the bank. If he leaves early for work, he could definitely stop at the bank beforehand... Depositing a few hundred dollars really isn’t that weird. It could be a gift from a caring relative, not that Jongdae has any of those.

Right. Jongdae rolls himself off his bed. Time for that second shower.

\--

The last few weeks before the new semester starts pass in a flash of Jongdae working and Jongdae getting high with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun on Friday nights. It’s a good routine, and he’s not really excited for it to end, but he’s not going to drop out of college after completing three years already.

They’re sitting in the literature department’s library waiting for their next class to start. Jongdae pulls out his schedule and scowls. “I can’t believe they made us take an extra math class. Like, I did that already. In high school. Why they hell are they springing it on us now?”

Kyungsoo has his hands behind his head, and his eyes are closed. “Dude, I don’t fucking know. We’ll make it through somehow.”

“We’ll just seduce a TA, or something,” Baekhyun says, grinning. “Between the three of us, there’s gotta be someone they’re into.”

“We’re not going to do that,” Kyungsoo says, and sits up, stretching his neck and wincing. “We’re going to learn the fucking material, and that’ll be it.”

Jongdae continues staring at the schedule sadly. “I’m not a numbers person,” he mumbles. He’s really not. 

“When does that class start, anyway?” Baekhyun asks, rummaging through his bag. “I think I lost my schedule already.”

“Just log into the website and screenshot it on your phone,” Kyungsoo groans, resting his head on the tabletop. “I don’t know why Jongdae bothers with a paper copy.”

“I have it on my phone, too. This has the full building names, because I wasn’t sure what building the math class was in,” Jongdae says scanning the sheet. “Okay, it’s in Rawles Hall at 1pm. Which is in about half an hour.”

“As much as I don’t feel like it, we should probably start walking over now so we can get seats without having to rush,” Kyungsoo muses.

Baekhyun laughs. “Yeah, no rushing for us seniors. God forbid someone see us in a hurry.”

“I just want to leave the sweaty freshman years behind, alright?”

Jongdae laughs. Kyungsoo had been a lot different as a freshman, when they had first met. Nervous, stuttering, and definitely sweaty. Baekhyun had seen to that promptly. Nothing like forced intimacy to bring you out of your shell. “No, I get that,” he says, standing and stuffing his papers into his bag. “Let’s get moving.”

The three of them saunter out of the library, passing a few harried looking students on their way out of the building. It’s hot out, but that doesn’t stop Kyungsoo from wearing pants. Jongdae really isn’t sure how he does it. He and Baekhyun are in shorts and shirts made out of the thinnest material they could find.

They walk along the paths until they reach Rawles Hall, a good ten minutes away from the Literature department. Jongdae holds the door open for the other two, and he sinks blissfully into the air conditioning. It’ll get better as the semester goes on, but for now it’s absolutely sweltering outside.

“Is it in the big lecture hall?” Baekhyun asks, peering through some of the open doors. “They look nerdy in there. I doubt that class is math for people who don’t like math.” The class they’re taking is specifically for people like them, who haven’t taken math since high school and don’t really need it, but should know some things for doing taxes and stuff.

“Nah, it’s one of the smaller ones,” Kyungsoo says, whipping out his phone. “Yeah, that room over there,” he points, and slips his phone back into his pocket. They push open the door. There are a few other students there, but clearly they’ve arrived pretty early.

“Let’s go for one of the middle rows near the edge,” Baekhyun says, making the decision for them. “I’m not sure I want to be in the front for this one. We’ll see how the professor is first.”

“Good point,” Jongdae says with a shudder. “Remember Graham, our freshman year? And the spit?”

“Actually, I didn’t want to remember,” Kyungsoo says, plopping down between the two of them. “He was disgusting. I really wish they would have fired him. He wasn’t even good.”

Baekhyun laughs, and continues talking about awful professors. Jongdae tunes him out, and focuses instead on tugging a notebook and a pen out of his backpack. He knows that usually in math people use pencils, but fuck that. Jongdae is a pen-only person.

As the time until class starts dwindles, more students trickle in, some of whom Jongdae recognizes, and some he doesn’t. He waves to a couple of the usuals; it appears that he isn’t the only one unfortunate enough to have to take this class as a requirement.

The noise level in the classroom rises, as it is prone to do when a room contains a bunch of people who know each other decently well but haven’t seen each other for a few months. Jongdae is still a little sleepy, and he debates putting his head down on the little fold out desk in front of him, but instead compensates with doodling in his notebook.

“—and like I was saying before, I think you should really just test the waters,” Baekhyun says to Kyungsoo. “You never know, right?”

Kyungsoo makes an exasperated noise. “Baek, dude, I told you, she has explicitly mentioned Jongin as her boyfriend, which was clearly meant to be a sign that I should absolutely not flirt with her.”

The noise in the classroom drops suddenly, and Jongdae can literally hear the devious in Baekhyun’s voice. “I meant what I said, you never—oh wow, he’s young.”

Jongdae looks over at Baekhyun. “What?”

“Him. Our professor. He’s young-looking. I was expecting someone crusty,” Baekhyun says gesturing up front.

Jongdae turns his head. That head of hair looks awfully familiar...

Oh.

Oh _fuck_ no.

Fuck the hell no.

That can’t be Chanyeol? There is no fucking way that’s the same guy who paid to have sex with him a few weeks ago.

Jongdae immediately hunches in his seat. “Baek, do you have a hat?” he whispers furiously, attempting to make himself as small as possible. “Please tell me you have a hat.”

Both of his friends look taken aback. “What’s wrong with the professor?” Kyungsoo says, one eyebrow raised. He looks over at their professor (who is probably Chanyeol, unless he has a twin that has the same haircut) and watches him sort through some papers. “Are you trying to hide because you think he’s hot?”

“No hat, sorry,” Baekhyun says slowly. “What’s up, dude?”

Jongdae attempts to smooth his hair over his eyes, and then realizes that probably looks ridiculous, so he ruffles it up again. “Remember like two weeks ago when some dude paid me to have sex with him?” he says in a low voice, glancing around. He doesn’t want this getting out to his peers. That would be awkward. The Literature students are notorious gossips.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen, and the whites of Kyungsoo’s eyes are visible all the way around his irises. “Are you serious?” Baekhyun hisses back. “That’s the guy?”

Jongdae nods with sharp jerk of his head. He can feel himself starting to sweat a little, even though the room is heavily air conditioned. “I’m pretty sure, unless I met math professor’s evil twin that night?”

“Which is totally improbable,” Kyungsoo mutters, his big eyes once again focused up front. “You’re fucked.”

Bouncing his leg, Jongdae tries to hide behind his notebook. “Yeah, I am. Can I transfer out of this class? There’s gotta be someone else who teaches it? At a different time? What if I just left right now?”

Baekhyun glances at his phone. “You can’t, we’ve got like thirty seconds until class starts. If you left now he’d totally notice, and you’d be fucked anyway.”

The helpless feeling sinking in, the three of them stare at each other in horror.

“Why is it always me who gets in these situations,” Jongdae moans quietly. “Why can’t it be one of you?”

Baekhyun lets out a weak laugh. “Funny you should say that, Kyungsoo’s in a pretty bad spot right now.”

“I am, but that’s not important right now. Is there anything you guys can think of? What the hell are we supposed to do?” Kyungsoo whispers back. “Jongdae, just try to hide.”

“Can I have your attention, please?” comes a voice from the front. Jongdae avoids looking up, but clearly Chanyeol is calling the class to order. “Good afternoon. I’ll be your instructor for Math-M130, Chanyeol Park.”

Jongdae leans over a little to get closer to Kyungsoo. “Definitely him,” he says, and Kyungsoo gives him a worried look. Honestly, nothing is going to comfort him right now. Jongdae’s insides feel like ice.

“Which means if you didn’t sign up for that course, you aren’t in the right place. Anyone?” One student gets up and leaves, and a swell of whispering rises and falls. Dammit, why didn’t Jongdae just leave then?

“Right, good. Because this is a required class, I’m required to take attendance, which we’ll do while I pass around copies of the syllabus. Pass it around, please,” Chanyeol says, and Jongdae still isn’t looking at him. He doesn’t know if Chanyeol has noticed yet, but with attendance he’ll definitely recognize him. Jongdae quietly swears at himself for giving Chanyeol his full name, not that it matters now.

“You’re so fucked,” Kyungsoo mutters, and Jongdae resists the urge to whimper in defeat.

He keeps his head down during the beginning of the list, and he hears “Baekhyun Byun” and “Kyungsoo Do.” When Chanyeol hits the last names that begin with J, he feels Kyungsoo’s hand squeeze his knee, and he looks over, meeting Kyungsoo’s eyes and they share a moment of anticipation, before Chanyeol calls out,

“Jongdae... Kim.”

Looking up for the first time since class started, Jongdae immediately meets Chanyeol’s eyes. They’re wide, and he’s clearly surprised. It’s obvious the man didn’t read over his roster. They’re frozen, looking at each other. Jongdae thinks he’s shaking, and he doesn’t know what to do, how to react.

Kyungsoo quietly punches him, and the stand-off is broken.

“H-here,” Jongdae says throatily. Chanyeol appears to tell himself something internally, and then continues down his list with Shannon Liu. Fuck.

Jongdae brings a hand up to bite at the skin around his fingernails. Now, not only does he have to deal with Chanyeol himself, he has to work around all of the awkward questions his classmates are going to ask him later. Suddenly Jongdae regrets making friends. He should have been one of those loner kids with like two friends who don’t judge him for fucking his math professor for money before the semester begins. In Jongdae’s defense, if he had known, he wouldn’t have done it.

“This is so fucked,” he whispers to Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as Chanyeol continues with the roll call. “What are the odds that this happens, huh?”

Baekhyun, being the sarcastic little shit that he is, says, “Well, maybe if we pay attention in class we’ll find out how to calculate that.”

Kyungsoo hits him. “This isn’t time for jokes, Baekhyun. Although... Chanyeol being a math professor might help explain why we’ve never seen him before, and why you didn’t know to not have sex with him. Did profession ever come up, while you two were fucking like animals?”

“Keep your goddamn voice down,” Jongdae hisses, leaning over, “And no, oddly enough, it did not. Maybe he assumed I was a student and didn’t want to know. Maybe he thought I was too old. Maybe he thought my job at the restaurant was my actual job. In any case, whatever the reason, it didn’t stop him from sticking his dick in my ass.”

“I didn’t need the visual,” Baekhyun groans quietly.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and takes three copies from the pile of syllabus papers going around. “What did you think was happening, Baekhyun? Look at Jongdae, and then look at Chanyeol. Given the situation, isn’t it kind of obvious who bottomed?”

Jongdae clears his throat and takes the paper Kyungsoo passes him. “That aside, this can’t be that bad. As long as neither of us says anything, he can’t get in trouble, or get me in trouble. Because that wouldn’t be good for him, because both of us would probably end up in prison, seeing as prostitution. Is. Illegal.”

“Well, worst case scenario might not be so bad,” Baekhyun muses, and Jongdae, along with Kyungsoo, looks over at him.

“What do you mean?”

“If you both go to prison, you can get fucked in the ass as much as you want.”

Jongdae is debating climbing out of his seat and beating Baekhyun’s flat ass into the ground when Chanyeol calls the class to attention once again.

“Right, so with that done, let’s move onto the syllabus. The first section of the page outlines the course objectives...”

Straightening in his seat, Jongdae looks down at the sheet of paper, eyes glazing over. He doesn’t really have much of a choice but to sit here and pay attention, does he?

\--

By the end of the class that day, Jongdae is actually kind of glad Chanyeol is their professor. His lesson for the day was comprehensible, especially compared to classes he’s taken in the past. If it weren’t for the... issue, he’s sure he would have actually enjoyed himself.

“I’m upset that we have homework,” Baekhyun says, stuffing his notebook into his bag, “But you’ve gotta admit, he’s a decent teacher.”

“You’re not wrong,” Kyungsoo says, stretching.

It’s at this moment that another one of the literature students walks over to talk to them, which is what Jongdae had been wanting to avoid, but unfortunately he’s not the one sitting in the aisle seat, so he can’t bolt the fuck out of here.

“Hey, guys! Somehow, I’m not surprised to see you here.” It’s Luna. They’ve known her since freshman year. She’s nice, very good at what she does, but really not who Jongdae wants to talk to right now.

“Hey, Luna,” Kyungsoo says easily. “How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good,” she says, shifting the weight of her bag. “Soojung says she’s been talking to you a lot recently.” Jongdae exchanges looks with Baekhyun. This should be an interesting topic of conversation for later.

“Yeah, we’ve been hanging out,” Kyungsoo says a little sheepishly, and Jongdae can see his ears starting to turn red. He smirks. “Tell her I said hi.”

“Will do. More importantly, did you notice the professor is kind of a hottie?”

Baekhyun laughs. “We certainly did,” he says with a wink. Luna looks a little confused about that, but it’s only natural.

“Speaking of, Jongdae, do you know him, or something? He paused when he read your name.”

Jongdae resists the urge to wince. Alas, the exact situation he was attempting to avoid. “We must have met in a bar a while ago or something,” he says with a shaky laugh. “I think I’ve seen him somewhere before, too. Maybe it’s deja vu.”

Luna nods slowly. “Weird, right? Do you think that means he’s gay or something? Assuming you only go to gay bars, sorry, that was rude.”

Jongdae waves it off. “No, no, you’re totally right. I do only really go to gay bars. And who knows? I don’t really remember where I saw him.”

“Shame,” Luna says wistfully, turning and eyeing their professor. “He’s really attractive. Anyhow, I’ve heard about Kyungsoo’s summer through Soojung; how have you and Baekhyun been?”

“I’ve been working a lot,” Jongdae says with a shrug. “Aside from the usual get-togethers with these two, I haven’t really done much.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Same. We see each other like every day, and I’ve been working on some writing contests, but nothing too interesting.”

“Well, we’ll have to hang out sometime. We haven’t really had a Lit student gathering since finals last December, and I miss the group, you know?” They all agree, and Luna checks the time on her phone. “Oh, damn. I have another class to go to, so I’ll see you guys on Wednesday, alright?”

“Yeah, see you,” Kyungsoo says, waving, as she walks out of the classroom. He watches her go. “You know, if Soojung tells me to get lost, there’s always Luna.”

Baekhyun hits him. “I’m pretty sure she has a boyfriend.”

“Like that’s stopping Kyungsoo,” Jongdae mutters, stuffing his things in his bag. “Hey, can we get out of here? I don’t know about you guys, but I’m done for today, and my shift at the restaurant starts soon, so...”

“Good point,” Baekhyun says. “I just need to turn in a few forms at the Union, so I won’t be walking with you two.”

Kyungsoo shrugs, and follows Baekhyun out the door. “I have some drop-offs to do, so I’ll get going, too.”

Jongdae nods, and as he leaves the classroom, he chances a look back at Chanyeol. He’s talking to an earnest-looking student, and he doesn’t look as frazzled as Jongdae feels, so he turns and continues out.

\--

The problem with realizing that you’ve had sex with one of your professors is that now you have to be in class with them for the rest of the semester. Which is what Jongdae comes to find out on Wednesday, when it’s time for math class again.

“Jongdae, seriously, a few rows won’t make a difference. I really need to see the board,” Kyungsoo says, tugging him by the arm towards a row of seats closer to the front of the room than the back. “You know how bad my eyes are.”

“Then just wear damn glasses,” Jongdae grunts, trying to tug himself free, and failing. Kyungsoo may look tiny, but he’s surprisingly strong.

“I don’t have my glasses with me today,” Kyungsoo says, and pushes Jongdae down into a seat four rows back and in the center. He plops down next to him. “Where is Baekhyun?”

“He said he had to make some copies, he should be here soon,” Jongdae grumbles, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I swear, if he shows up late and draws attention to us, I’m going to kill him.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

Jongdae looks at Kyungsoo, who is staring straight into his soul with those massive eyes of his. “About avoiding Chanyeol? Yes?”

Kyungsoo sits back in his seat and brings a nail up to his mouth to chew. “Why have we never dated, Jongdae?”

Shrugging, Jongdae goes back to his phone. “Well, for starters, I didn’t know you were bisexual until last year when you fucked the tall Chinese dude at that one party, and it seems like we’re always either taken or interested in someone else.”

Kyungsoo’s brows furrow. “So do you think if everything would have aligned, we would have dated?”

“Are you trying to come on to me?” Jongdae says with a sigh, putting his phone down. “Because I’m really not in the mood for that.”

“Nope, definitely not. I’ve still got a massive boner for Soojung, and her boyfriend is actually pretty cute...” Kyungsoo coughs. “Anyway, not the point. I don’t want to date you; it just seems weird that we haven’t considered it before.”

“Weird, alright,” Jongdae mutters.

“Someone is grumpy,” Baekhyun says, finding a seat next to Kyungsoo. “Who shit in your pajamas?”

“Hey, you’d be grumpy too if one of your former hookups was about to teach you pre-calculus,” Jongdae says under his breath.

“He’s right, though,” Kyungsoo says quietly, as the man himself walks into the room and sets his papers on the desk in front. “You need to be more positive about the situation.”

“Positive,” Jongdae says faintly, “Right. I’ll try to do that.”

Apparently, Chanyeol hears them talking, because he looks up, meeting eyes with Jongdae, who quickly looks away.

“Please kill me now,” he whines.

“Not the kind of positivity I was looking for,” Baekhyun says cheerfully.

\--

By the time Friday rolls around, Jongdae is dreading existence. Okay, maybe it’s not that serious, but he’s seriously considering skipping class. Or, at least, regretting not skipping class, because Kyungsoo has them sitting in the second row.

“Look, I’m not doing this on purpose, Dae,” he hisses, trying to subdue Jongdae’s fit. “I forgot my glasses again, okay?”

“I will literally break your door down and hot glue them to your face in your sleep,” Jongdae snarls back. “This is starting to get ridiculous, Kyungsoo Do.”

“Might want to shut up,” Baekhyun whispers. “He just walked in.”

“I literally hate you both,” Jongdae says as quietly as he can. Chanyeol is once again walking over to the desk in front, and setting his papers down. He looks up, and practically does a double take upon seeing Jongdae so close. Not that Jongdae is watching directly, noooo, he’s doodling in his notebook and watching out of the corner of his eye.

“You don’t have to be so rude,” Kyungsoo says blithely. “Also, I got Jongin’s phone number yesterday.”

At this, Baekhyun perks up. “Did you really? Have you been texting?”

“He replies very slowly, so not really,” Kyungsoo sighs. “I can’t tell whether he wants to be friends with me or beat me up for flirting with his girlfriend.”

“Isn’t there some saying about friends and enemies?” Baekhyun says, massaging his temples. “It’s literally at the tip of my tongue.”

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,” Jongdae offers, giving his cartoon dick a nice little cowboy hat. He draws a speech bubble and encases the words, ‘save a horse, ride a cowboy’ inside.

“Teddy Roosevelt?” Baekhyun asks.

“No, his was ‘Speak softly, but carry a big stick,’” Kyungsoo says, pulling out his own notebook and a pen.

“Does that apply to anyone we know, Jongdae? Does anyone have a big ‘stick?’” Baekhyun says with a wink. Jongdae glares at him.

Chanyeol clears his throat, and Jongdae almost jumps out of his seat. “Homework is due today, so if you all want to make a pile on the desk... I have stapler, if you need it.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun promptly pass their work to Jongdae, who happens to be sitting in the aisle seat today. “You guys just want to watch the world burn,” he hisses at them, before adding his own work to their collection and standing up.

It’s only a few steps to Chanyeol’s desk, but to Jongdae it feels like a chasm. He places the homework on the pile that some of the other students have already created, and tries to avoid looking up at Chanyeol.

“Did you have any trouble?” Chanyeol asks quietly. Jongdae wants to peel off his skin.

“Ah, no. It was pretty easy,” he says, scratching behind an ear.

Chanyeol sighs. “Look, could you just stay behind after class so we can talk about this?” he says, in the same quiet voice. Jongdae, seeing the look in his eyes, swallows, and then nods.

Naturally, the second he sits back down, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun practically jump him.

“What did he say?” Baekhyun whispers, and Jongdae wants to go on a very long hike and never come back again.

“He’s literally right there,” Jongdae mutters. “I’m going to see him after class, so wait for me outside or something, I dunno.” He glances up, and not surprisingly, Chanyeol is eyeing the trio. The surprising thing is that he seems to be laughing. “You guys are fucking ridiculous,” he reiterates, because he feels like that needs to be made clear.

“What else did you expect us to do?” Kyungsoo says, sitting back in his seat. “But we’ll change the topic, just for you, cocksucker. Did you guys start on the ‘Debunking Symbolism’ paper yet?”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Of all the topics you could have chosen.”

\--

After class Jongdae takes his time stuffing his one notebook and one pen in his bag, waving to Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, and slinging his bag on his back. Unfortunately, there are some kiss-ass motherfuckers waiting to talk to Chanyeol. Seriously, people? The homework was easy. It’s the first week of class. What are you doing?

A good five minutes later (yes, Jongdae was counting), the last guy finally leaves, and Jongdae steps up. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Chanyeol is shuffling papers on his desk, and he glances up at Jongdae with something of sheepish smile. “I think you already know the what.” Damn, Chanyeol looks good like this, in a well-fitting shirt slacks that cling to his long-ass legs.

Jongdae shakes himself slightly. He’s not supposed to get distracted, here. “Okay. What about it, then?” He begins tapping his foot out of a nervous habit.

“We need to stop acting like it’s the end of the world when we make eye contact during class. How old are you, again?”

“I’m 21, turning 22 in September,” Jongdae says, scowling. “Jesus fuck, dude.”

Chanyeol braces his palms on the desk and leans. “I wouldn’t have done this if I had known that you were a student. I don’t know if you noticed, but the school generally frowns on professor-student relationships.”

Jongdae sighs. “Look, I wouldn’t have done it either, alright? But we did it.”

“And then you slunk out the door like a drowned rat.”

“What did you want me to do?” Jongdae says, raising his voice, but only a little. “Cuddle up to you in bed? That would have been weird!”

Chanyeol runs a hand through his hair, which had once been gelled into place, and is now hanging down over his forehead. He looks younger like this, and for a second Jongdae forgets how gross the whole situation is. “Okay, you have a point. Anyway. We need to pretend that ‘it’ didn’t happen.”

Jongdae scoffs. “Obviously. My story is that maybe we saw each other somewhere before. You recognize me from somewhere, but you can’t remember where exactly. Maybe it was a bar. Maybe you went to the restaurant I work at. Whatever. We’ve never talked, and this meeting is just about a question I had on the homework that I didn’t want to bother the other students with.”

“That’s... fine with me,” Chanyeol says, blinking. “I’m surprised you aren’t trying to get me fired, or something.”

“One, I would likely face consequences as well,” Jongdae says, adjusting his bag, “And two, if we’re not actively doing anything, I have no proof. You could have paid me for mowing your damn lawn. Can I leave now?”

“Yeah, sure. I just need to go through the homework,” Chanyeol says, shuffling more papers around. “Have a nice weekend.” His tone is maybe a little forced?

Jongdae isn’t sure what that means. “You too,” he says with a shrug. He turns and exits the classroom, not even daring to look back this time, because he knows that Chanyeol is probably watching.

\--

Another week of classes pass, and despite their conversation last Friday, Jongdae finds himself in a bit of a conundrum.

Chanyeol is, unfortunately, hot. And very good at teaching math to people who could give two fucks about it. And it doesn’t help that he was so damn _nice_ while they were fucking.

Which is why, on Friday night, Jongdae finds himself complaining to Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

“I don’t understand why it has to be like this,” he moans, upper body draped over his own kitchen table. “He was really nice, and we kissed...”

Kyungsoo takes a sip of his drink and continues texting. “It was fine when he wasn’t our professor, but now it’s weird. Please stop.”

Of course, Jongdae ignores this. “And he’s still hot. Like, I’m still attracted to him? I know that’s kind of cliché, wanting to bang your professor, but I already have. Banged him, that is, and I want to do it again.”

“If he offered, would you?” Baekhyun asks, reaching up to scratch his nose delicately with his index finger. He’s got his head propped up on a hand, with his elbow resting on the table. They’re not high (not this time, at least), just talking to each other after eating more food from Jongdae’s restaurant.

“Yeah,” Jongdae says, heaving a melancholy sigh. “Though, if I’m being honest, I would rather he took me out on a date.”

“Oh man, this is bad,” Baekhyun chuckles, flicking Jongdae on the arm, leaving a little red spot. Jongdae glares at him. “Are you catching feelings?”

“Ugh. As much as I realize that it’s an awful idea, he’s really growing on me,” Jongdae admits, tracing patterns in the condensation on his glass. “If only he wasn’t an ass about the teacher-student thing.”

“Oh, yeah, there’s that issue,” Kyungsoo says, finally putting down his phone. “You know this can’t end well. Don’t get enamored with him quite yet, fucktard.”

“You out of all people should know catching feelings isn’t something you can prevent,” Jongdae snaps. “How’s Soojung?”

Baekhyun lets out a whistle, and stuffs a leftover fry in his mouth. “Low blow.”

Kyungsoo glares at them both. “For your information, Jongin seems like he wants to be friends, not fight me, so I’d say we’re doing rather well. How’s your love life, Baekhyun?”

“Ooh, redirection is prohibited,” Baekhyun sings. “If I wanted a girlfriend right now, I’d go out and get one. I want to get used to my workload before I start dating this semester. Back to you, though.”

“Yeah, what are you planning to do about this, Kyungsoo?” Jongdae asks, tilting his head up. “I’m actually pretty curious to see if you have a solution.”

Kyungsoo scowls. “Obviously, best case scenario is that Jongin and Soojung break up and I start dating her. Worst case, Jongin beats me up and Soojung gets a restraining order. I’d settle for no relationship and just getting to fuck her once. Like Jongdae, I’d rather a date, but we can’t get everything we want.”

“No, we cannot,” Jongdae laments. Baekhyun hits him.

“Both of you need to stop being so goddamn dramatic, and maybe fight a little bit for what you want.”

Kyungsoo blinks. “Wow, Baekhyun, you’re actually giving good advice for once, you little dick.”

Baekhyun laughs. “It comes out all the time, you’re just too dumb to listen.”

\--

Saturday night rolls around and Jongdae is home at his apartment trying to get some homework done. Working most of the weekend and having to cram homework in at night fucking sucks, but hopefully it’ll be worth it. Hopefully. Sometimes Jongdae regrets choosing literature.

He’s kind of stuck on one of the math problems Chanyeol had assigned for the week (this homework is due next Friday, but he wants to get a head start on it). He can’t text Baekhyun or Kyungsoo, because the likelihood of them having begun is next to zero, and he doesn’t really want to bother any of the others in the class...

Wait. He still has his conversation with Chanyeol on Grindr. Would it be too weird to ask? Definitely yes, but last night Baekhyun had encouraged him to be bold and do something about his nascent feelings, so Jongdae decides to shake off his nerves and send a message.

Opening the Grindr app, he clicks back to his conversation with Chanyeol. He hasn’t touched the thing since the night of the ‘date,’ and he finds he’s gotten a few more messages from guys that he honestly has no desire to talk to. He deletes those, and opens up the chat.

Now, what to say? After some deliberation, Jongdae types,

_heyyy i’m having trouble with the homework you gave us, want to help me?_

He sets his phone down. It’s honestly a long shot that Chanyeol actually replies, but it’s worth a shot.

Ten minutes later he’s rewarded with his phone buzzing, and he unlocks his phone.

_Why are you messaging me_

Jongdae narrows his eyes. Rude.

_because im having trouble with the homework  
duh_

_I thought we were supposed to be ignoring each other_

Still rude. Jongdae shakes his head sadly.

_well yeah in class  
but you didnt say i couldnt message you_

_Jesus  
I suppose if i told you now it wouldnt make a difference_

Jongdae grins. That’s why he likes.

_nooooope  
how do you do problem 23 tho_

Maybe by avoiding the topic for a bit, he can make Chanyeol feel a little more comfortable.

_Im really not going to help you with this_  
Try youtube  
There are help problems for this exact type  
Just google the title of the notes from our last class  
Also you might want to wait a little bit before you finish that  
I teach the rest of the material for it on monday 

_that you_  
that was more than i expected actually  
ill check out that tutorial 

Chanyeol’s replies are coming quicker now.

_Well im not just going to leave a student with no help  
Even if they did contact me through a non-university affiliated source_

Jongdae snorts.

_i dont have your phone number  
what else was i supposed to do_

_I have an email  
Could have used that_

_eeeh this is faster_  
plus you might have waited to check your email  
youre definitely going to check a grindr message 

Jongdae’s playing a game he’s going to call “Piss Off Chanyeol to the Point That He Goes on a Date With Me.”

_This is ridiculous_

_it is, but hear me out_  
last time was great so what if we did it again  
like, i enjoyed the sex  
enough to do it again for free 

_Should i be flattered_

Jongdae snickers.

_yes definitely_  
so is that a yes  
we dont even have to go out in public if thats what your worried about 

_I could be fired for this  
In fact why am i even talking to you_

_are you saying no_  
i mean if youre sure...  
i really want to fuck again though 

_Fine jesus_

_yay im excited already  
sunday same time but your house?_

_No come around 6:30 instead_  
Ill make you dinner  
It feels weird just having sex 

The excitement flutters in Jongdae’s chest at the thought of having dinner with Chanyeol. He’s definitely catching feelings, but he didn’t expect Chanyeol to be so easy about it. Is he making excuses, though, or would he really feel weird with just sex?

_okay_  
i get off work around 5:30 so i might be a little late  
i’ll message you if that happens 

_Fine by me  
Now stop messaging me and do your homework_

_yes sir!_

Jongdae is very pleased with this turn of events. He goes back to his work feeling energized and ready to tackle whatever the hell this is.

\--

Sunday evening Jongdae takes the bus over to Chanyeol’s house. It’s kind of weird, not that he knows where his professor’s house is (he’s been over to a literature professor’s house before, which was actually weird but not a story for today), but mostly because he knows that separating professor Chanyeol and Chanyeol he would like to have sex with is going to be difficult. 

He’s actually sort of hesitant to ring the doorbell, but he does anyway. Immediately a dog starts barking, and he can hear Chanyeol’s voice. The door opens, and Jongdae is treated with a view of Chanyeol holding a big golden retriever’s collar.

“This is Snickerdoodle,” Chanyeol says with a cough. “Sorry. She gets a little excited around new people.”

“That’s not an issue; I love dogs,” Jongdae says. “Um. I should probably come inside.” He looks around Chanyeol’s neighborhood; there’s nobody outside, but he’d really rather not risk being recognized by anyone.

Chanyeol looks up at him. “Oh! Right, let me just...” He tugs the dog back far enough for Jongdae to slip inside, and shuts the door after him. “I’m going to let her go now, she shouldn’t jump but if she does knock her off.”

Jongdae nods, and immediately his legs are assaulted with a mass of golden hair. “Hi, girl,” he says, holding a hand out for her to sniff. She barks, and he gives her a pat.

“Looks like she likes you,” Chanyeol says, smiling down like a proud parent. “I’m going to go finish up making dinner, if you don’t mind...?”

Shaking his head, Jongdae says, “No, not at all. I’ll just pet your dog.”

“Alright. You can leave your shoes on or take them off, whatever you want,” Chanyeol says, and hurries back into his kitchen. Jongdae is tempted to follow him, as he hasn’t seen Chanyeol’s kitchen yet, but ultimately decides it would be awkward to stand there and watch him cook.

He takes a seat on Chanyeol’s plain couch, and Snickerdoodle follows him, tail wagging. She presents him with a slobbery toy, and he holds it back out to her. “What am I going to do with it, huh? Should I throw it for you?” he asks the dog quietly. She barks, and Jongdae laughs. “Okay, I’ll throw it,” he says, and tosses the toy. She brings it back, panting happily. They play for a bit, and Jongdae keeps his attention focused on the dog.

“Hey, dinner is done, are you hungry now?” Chanyeol says, voice slightly raised. Jongdae stands and runs a hand through his hair. He’s actually pretty nervous about this. It’s one thing to have sex with someone, and another to sit through dinner with them and have to make conversation.

“Yeah, I’m hungry,” he says, and follows the sound of Chanyeol’s voice into his kitchen, where a few dishes are set out on a table.

“Have a seat,” Chanyeol says, sitting down himself. “Sorry, I didn’t ask if you have any allergies. Do you?” he says sheepishly. “I probably should have thought of that beforehand.”

Jongdae shakes his head. “Nah, don’t worry about it,” he says as he pulls out his chair. “I’m only allergic to mold.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue, then,” Chanyeol says with obvious relief. Jongdae looks over the table; Chanyeol has made some sort of pasta dish that he desperately hopes contains minimal garlic. He’s kind of expecting this night to end with some sort of action, and if they’re going to be kissing later, well. As long as they both have garlic breath it should be fine, right?

“Help yourself,” Chanyeol says. He’s back to looking a little uncomfortable, and Jongdae wonders if it’s because he’s nervous or because he would rather not have a sexual relationship with a student.

Jongdae serves himself, and takes a sip of his water as Chanyeol does the same. Snickerdoodle comes trotting into the kitchen, and Chanyeol shakes his head when she puts her head on his thigh. “No, girl. You already ate dinner, sweetheart.”

Giggling quietly, Jongdae brings a forkful of the pasta up to his mouth in attempts to disguise his laughter. To his surprise, it’s decently good, and not too garlicky. “This is good.”

Chanyeol looks up. “Thank you. I, uh, doubt you want to hear about my ex, but we shared kitchen duties pretty equally? She was still a better cook, but I’m not bad.”

“Compared to my friends?” Jongdae laughs. “You’re fantastic. One of them is absolutely awful at cooking. He’s the type that could burn a salad.”

“Your friends are Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, if I remember correctly?” Chanyeol asks, taking a bite of his food.

Jongdae nods. “Yeah, the two who sit next to me in class. We’re all in literature, and I guess you could say we’re pretty close.” He appreciates that Chanyeol isn’t totally avoiding the school issue.

“You guys really seem like it,” Chanyeol says dryly. “Don’t think I can’t hear you gossiping before class starts.”

Jongdae winces. “Have you heard the parts about you?”

Chanyeol lifts his eyebrows. “You gossip about me?”

“Frequently?” Jongdae admits, scratching behind an ear. “It was all the other two could talk about for a week.

“Wait, your friends know about this?” Chanyeol asks, gesturing between them.

Jongdae shrugs. “Baekhyun was the one who suggested I get a sugar daddy, actually. Of course they know.”

“Well now this is awkward,” Chanyeol says, setting his fork down. “It’s totally inappropriate for two of my students to know that kind of information about me.”

Jongdae resists the urge to heave a huge sigh. He’s been having this internal debate for a month now, first about having sex for money in the first place, and then about the teacher-student dynamic. He’s really ready to be done with it. “Look,” he says, leaning forward. “They’re my best friends. They know everything about me and I know everything about them. They’re not stupid; they’re not going to tell, and they’re not judging you for anything, because if they were to judge you, they would have to judge me. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun are decent people, you really don’t have to worry about them.”

“Seeing how close you guys seem, I really should have expected that,” Chanyeol says, chuckling ruefully. Jongdae relaxes; it appears that Chanyeol has been mollified. “Out of curiosity, what do the other students say about me?”

Jongdae thinks back to the couple of conversations he’s had with their classmates. “Well, they say you’re hot, firstly. You should go and check your Rate My Professor rating.” Chanyeol doesn’t actually look too happy about that, so Jongdae clears his throat and continues. “You’ve been teaching the theories pretty well, but some of the students think you could give them a little more visual. We’re not math people, so we need a little extra help, you know?”

Chanyeol nods. “That’s good advice, actually. I’ll take that into consideration in the upcoming weeks.” He pauses to chew and swallow. “Have you... done anything interesting lately?”

“I mean, not really,” Jongdae says, trying to think. “But if you want, my coworkers at the restaurant do some story-worthy things.”

“I’m willing to listen,” Chanyeol says with a wink, and Jongdae feels his insides get a little mushy.

They spend the rest of dinner talking about past coworkers, and when they finish, Jongdae insists on helping Chanyeol do the dishes, because he’s nice and he really doesn’t want to just sit around while Chanyeol does all the work.

Sitting down on the couch, Jongdae leans back. He made sure not to eat too much, even though the food was good, because he doesn’t know where this is going to go from now on. In any case, he didn’t douche for nothing, so.

“You comfortable?” Chanyeol asks jokingly, sitting down next to him. Snickerdoodle jumps up on the couch and starts licking his fingers, but Chanyeol lets her.

“Why yes, I am,” Jongdae grins. “Should I not be?”

“I wouldn’t want that,” Chanyeol says, leaning back as well. “You know, if you don’t want to have sex with me, you don’t have to. I’m not forcing you to do anything.”

Jongdae sighs, and runs a hand through his hair. Does Chanyeol still think he’s doing this for some sort of gain, other than his own satisfaction? “And I’m not being forced. I do actually want to be here. I wasn’t lying when I messaged you yesterday. Hell, I’m not even doing this because I want a good grade in your class. Not that I don’t, of course,” he adds hurriedly, sitting up, “but I’m going to achieve that under my own power.”

“So you’re actually just attracted to me,” Chanyeol says, sitting up as well. He sets a hand on Jongdae’s knee, and Jongdae’s eyes flit down briefly.

“Yes,” he says throatily. “I... definitely am.”

“That’s good to know,” Chanyeol’s voice is low and gravelly, and hot damn Jongdae is lucky.

He bites the inside of his cheek, and stands up, lacing his fingers with Chanyeol’s. “Tell me,” he says, planting a knee next to Chanyeol’s thigh on the couch. “What would you like to happen next?” Jongdae hovers over him, and one of Chanyeol’s big hands goes to his waist. Taking that as a sign of confirmation, Jongdae plants his ass over the bulge in Chanyeol’s pants.

“Fuck,” Chanyeol growls, and reaches down to grab Jongdae’s ass. “You’re so fucking tiny compared to me. I’m not even that much taller, but fuck.” With the way Jongdae is seated on Chanyeol’s lap, their faces are level. Jongdae doesn’t necessarily find this as hot as Chanyeol does, but if it gets him going, well, Jongdae isn’t about to say no.

“You like that, don’t you?” Jongdae murmurs, unsubtly grinding down. He can feel Chanyeol’s dick growing harder against his ass. “And you like that I want it this much.”

“Goddamn right I do. Are we going to move to my bedroom, or fuck here?”

A quick glance around has Jongdae climbing off his lap. “As much as I love your dog, I don’t want her nosing around my balls, so let’s go to your room.”

Chanyeol is flushed and looks well on his way to sweaty. “Good point,” he says, and pushes himself up. “Come on, then.” He nudges Jongdae in the direction of his bedroom, already undoing the buttons on his shirt.

Once they get there, however, the pace slows down. Chanyeol takes his time removing Jongdae’s clothing, kissing every little bit of skin as it becomes visible, eventual trailing his way back up to Jongdae’s lips.

They fall back onto the bed, and resume their position from the couch, with Jongdae on Chanyeol’s lap, but this time naked. It’s a lot better skin on skin, Jongdae realizes. He can feel all of the warmth from Chanyeol’s body, and compared to the cool air of the room, it’s heaven.

“Get on the bed,” Chanyeol says, and pushes him down, joining their lips together again. Jongdae winds his arms around Chanyeol’s back, except Chanyeol is moving, and he has a tube of lube and a roll of condoms hidden under his pillow.

“Expecting this, much?” Jongdae laughs breathily.

“Your messages made it heavily implied,” Chanyeol replies, and chooses to kiss him again to shut him up, to which Jongdae has no objections.

Chanyeol fingers him slowly, so slowly that Jongdae is soon shuddering and quaking beneath him. He kisses Chanyeol harder, but he won’t take the hint and move his fingers faster. It’s extremely frustrating, and yet Jongdae finds himself half delirious with pleasure.

The bastard keeps up this half-torture until Jongdae thinks he would start screaming if nothing happened. Chanyeol seems to sense that Jongdae has reached his breaking point, and flips him over. “Hands on the headboard,” he says directly into Jongdae’s ear, causing Jongdae to break out in goosebumps and sending a shiver down his spine.

Jongdae gets a strong hold on the headboard, only to have Chanyeol align his chest to Jongdae’s back and press kisses down his spine. When he pushes in, it’s like sinking into a cold pool on a hot day: a little painful, but you only want more.

Chanyeol fucks Jongdae slowly, enough to keep him very turned on, but never enough to have him climbing the wall. His fingers skim over Jongdae’s dick, lightly and not what he wants. Jongdae would shriek if he had the breath, but he’s too caught up in panting with the occasional moan. Everything’s just so damn sensitive. It feels like all of the nerves in his lower body are on fire.

Eventually it gets to be too much, and the tears spill out of Jongdae’s eyes, and he’s gasping for air. Chanyeol notices, pulling out and flipping him over. He wipes a thumb under Jongdae’s eye, frowning. “Are you crying? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Jongdae chokes out, a little frustrated with himself. “It’s so much. Feels good, though, please don’t stop,” he half begs, holding his arms out for Chanyeol to come back to him.

Chanyeol complies, pushing back in and finally speeding up. Jongdae is sure he looks like a mess, with tears trickling down his face and sweat pooling at his hairline and on his chest. But Chanyeol continues, fucking him with long and smooth strokes, until he comes all over both of their stomachs. Tears continue spilling out of his eyes as Chanyeol finishes, pulls out and disposes of his condom.

“You sure you’re alright?” he asks, looking concerned.

“’M fine,” Jongdae mumbles, wiping at his eyes with the palms of his hands. “This happens sometimes.”

“As long as you’re positive. I don’t want to hurt you,” Chanyeol says, and lies back. “Positive. Haha. Math jokes.”

At this, Jongdae laughs, curling up against Chanyeol’s side. “You fucking nerd, I can’t believe you.”

“I can’t help it, you know,” he says, and Jongdae is sure his expression is on the indignant side. “Laughing at stupid puns is kind of a requirement.”

“I’m sure all of the other professors think the same,” Jongdae says, rolling his eyes where Chanyeol can’t see. He sniffs. “Ugh. I need to blow my nose. And probably shower.”

“What time is it?” Chanyeol asks, lifting himself up on an elbow. “It’s only nine. Do you want to watch a movie, or something? Unless you have work to do.”

“Nah, I finished it all,” Jongdae says, stretching lazily. “I do need that shower, though.”

“Well, then get up, and we can take one. I’ll just give you some of my clothes after because I’m sure you’ll look cute in one of my t-shirts.”

“Listen, it’s not my fault you’re a giant and everybody else is normal-sized.”

They shower together (they keep it fairly PG, as Jongdae really doesn’t want another crying session), and curl up with Snickerdoodle on Chanyeol’s sofa to watch Deadpool, which Chanyeol hasn’t seen before, to Jongdae’s surprise. It’s nice, Jongdae decides, halfway through the movie. It’s almost like having a boyfriend, the way they’re sitting together. They’ve only spent a few nights together, so he supposes that the sex broke down the barrier of awkward. Whatever it is, he likes it.

The movie is running through the credits when Chanyeol looks over at him and asks, “Do you want to stay over? It’s pretty late.” Jongdae freezes. What is Chanyeol thinking? Just yesterday he was reluctant to do this, and today it’s like he’s done a whole 180 in attitude.

“I’ve walked home later than this,” Jongdae says, an eyebrow lifted. He’s trying to stall, and maybe find out Chanyeol’s true intentions here.

Chanyeol seems flustered. “You don’t have to. You can leave, I’m not keeping you here.”

“As long as you don’t mind,” Jongdae says cautiously. He’s still not sure what Chanyeol is trying to achieve, but he’d also rather not have to walk home right now, so. “Sure, I’ll stay. My first class is at 10 tomorrow, so I’ll just wake up with you and go home.”

“Fine by me,” Chanyeol says, and yawns. “I really am tired. You good to sleep now, or want to wait a while longer?”

Jongdae has been lulled into a semi-asleep state by all of Chanyeol’s yawning. He pats Snickerdoodle, who snuffles. “I could sleep right now.”

“Good,” Chanyeol grins. “I think I have a spare toothbrush somewhere.”

After brushing his teeth, Jongdae climbs into bed with Chanyeol, and Snickerdoodle hops up after him, turning in circles before snuggling up in between them. “I’m surprised you let her on your bed,” he comments, lazily stroking her fur.

Chanyeol shrugs. They’re face to face, and it’s not weird anymore. “She’s good company.”

They fall asleep talking about something Jongdae can’t even remember.

\--

The morning is all a haze. Jongdae usually likes to sleep in, so all he remembers is changing clothes, and kissing Chanyeol goodbye.

He walks to the bus stop in a daze, finally opening up his phone to check for messages. There are a few, from his group chat with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

Ksoo: _Guys  
Something happened_

Baek: _jongdae is probably getting boned by prof park rn  
just tell me and he cn read it in the morning ;D_

Ksoo: _Baekhyun no  
Baekhyun why  
Anyway_

Baek: _what happend  
tell meeeeeee_

Ksoo: _I was hanging out with soojung and jongin in jongins apartment  
And we were watching a movie  
I was sitting next to Jongin, soojung was on his other side  
Jongin kissed me_

Baek: _omg  
then what_

Ksoo: _I ran away?_

Baek: _FOR FUCKS SAKE DO  
WHY IN FUCK DID YOU RUN AWAY_

Ksoo: _You would have done the same dammit_

Baek: _dude  
srsly  
im not gay or even bi but i woulda stuck around  
thats a prime threesome moment okay  
he wouldnta kissed u if she didnt want to fuck u too_

Ksoo: _How in fuck was i supposed to assume that_

Baek: _asdflkjasdflkasdflkkasdlkasdffljdf  
we shall talk tomorrow when jd gets his head out of his ass  
more like when prof gets his dick out of jds ass but u get my intention_

Ksoo: _Why are you disgusted when i make jokes about it  
But then you do it too_

Baek: _u have to act disgusted otherwise theres no point  
u know  
i scratch ur back u scratch mine that kinda thing_

Ksoo: _Actually that makes sense_

Baek: _i do a great many things in the name of humor  
respect meeeeee_

Ksoo: _Suck my ass._

Baek: _D:_  
;D

Jongdae reads all of that on the bus ride home. All he’s sure about is that they’ll have a hell of a lot to discuss between classes today.

_holy shit guys_  
ksoo are you serious  
youre gonna have to give us all the details later  
i wanna hear this in person 

Baek: _yea me too_

Ksoo: _Im literally seeing you fucks in an hour  
Be patient for once in your goddamn lives_

Baek: _r00de_

_lol_

He slips his phone back into his pocket; he needs to charge it up before he goes to class.

\--

“...and they’ve both texted me around ten times but I haven’t answered,” Kyungsoo is saying, as they walk towards the math building. “I really don’t know what to do.”

Baekhyun lets out a frustrated noise. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“No? I’m totally serious, Baekhyun. What do I do?”

Jongdae rolls his shoulders; they’re stiff from clinging to the headboard last night. In fact, his shoulders aren’t the only thing that’s sore—

“Jongdae, help me out here,” Baekhyun implores. “We need to give Kyungsoo some actual advice.”

Heaving a sigh, Jongdae looks at Kyungsoo. “You really are being ridiculous about this, Kyungsoo. I’m going to break this down for you, okay?” Kyungsoo nods mutely. “Do you want to have sex with Soojung?”

“Yes, obviously.”

“Great, okay. If the situation were disconnected, would you have sex with Jongin?”

“Like, if he wasn’t dating Soojung? Uh,” Kyungsoo says, looking at the ground as they walk. “I guess I would, yeah. He’s. He’s surprisingly cute. When he dances he’s fucking hot, but he’s so goddamn adorable that it’s hard not to want put him in your pocket or something.”

Jongdae grins. This is going better than expected. “If you had the option, would you go on a date with Soojung?”

“Yeah, I would.”

Jongdae applauds him. “Great, now final question, would you go on a date with Jongin? Like if you found him on Tinder or something.”

“Fuck off, I know where this is going now,” Kyungsoo says, speeding up. Jongdae and Baekhyun hurry to catch up with him.

“But you would, right?” Baekhyun says, struggling to keep up with Kyungsoo, who seems like he wants to break into a jog. “Slow down, dammit, people are going to think you’re a freshman.”

Kyungsoo immediately slows his pace. “So what if I would,” he grumbles, still not looking at them.

“Then the point is that I don’t see why you’re struggling with this,” Jongdae says, reaching over his own shoulder to massage a muscle. It really aches; he’s not joking around. “You’re worrying about it too much. If they want a threesome, then just go for it.”

“I’m really not so keen on the whole polyamory thing,” Kyungsoo says quietly. “I really don’t think that’s what I want.”

Baekhyun glares at him. “Do you really think that, or are you just saying it because you think we’ll judge you?”

“...maybe a little of the latter.”

They’ve reached the math building, and Jongdae holds the door for the other two. “Okay, first off, do you really think I’m in a position to judge?”

Baekhyun slides into their usual spot in the second row first, followed by Kyungsoo and then Jongdae. “Spoiler, he’s not,” Baekhyun says. “And second, we would never judge you for wanting to do something that won’t harm you and instead make you happier.”

“You think dating Soojung and Jongin will make me happy?” Kyungsoo asks skeptically, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He stares at it, and then slowly unlocks the screen. “What do I do, then?”

Baekhyun smiles. “Shouldn’t that be obvious? Text them back. Tell them that you’re sorry for running off, and that you were just surprised. And that maybe you wouldn’t be averse to hanging out again.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, and gets to work.

Baekhyun turns to Jongdae. “And how about you? How was your night?” he asks, as Chanyeol walks in and sets his things on the table in front.

Jongdae watches him out of the corner of his eye. “It was good, actually. I was with... well, you know, and I really enjoyed myself.” He wonders if Chanyeol is eavesdropping. No, scratch that, he _hopes_ that Chanyeol is eavesdropping.

Baekhyun’s eyebrows are raised suggestively. “I see.”

“Shut up,” Jongdae says cheerfully. “Ahh, I’m so sore.” He mimes stretching his lower back, and Baekhyun gags.

“You are nasty,” he scowls. “I think I’m going to stick to talking to Kyungsoo today.”

Jongdae grins. “Just try to keep the thought of him having a threesome out of your head.”

“Fuck off, Dae.”

Chanyeol calls the class to order, then, and Jongdae settles back in his seat with his notebook open. He’s doing better than he expected in a math class. Although, it’s only the start of the third week of classes, so it’s not like they’re doing anything particularly hard yet, but still. Chanyeol seems to be taking his advice on teaching to not-math people to heart.

He’s busy taking notes later on in class when he looks up to check Chanyeol’s progress in writing down a formula.

“And, of course, I’m assuming all of you at least kind of remember exponents? There were some practice problems in your homework the first week, so that should have served as a refresher.” Jongdae notices that while Chanyeol does seem to sweep most of the room when lecturing, he refuses to make eye contact with Jongdae and his friends, even though they’re seated in the second row.

Well.

Jongdae continues to take notes, but he’s not much one for awkward situations, so he decides to try and stare at Chanyeol in attempts to actually make eye contact.

He’s only vaguely successful. When Chanyeol does look at him (he suspects it’s unintentional), he seems to flinch and look away. Jongdae is only a little infuriated.

When class ends, Chanyeol excuses himself in a hurry, stating that he has a meeting and that anyone with questions should come to his office hours. Jongdae stands, and stretches out his shoulders again.

“Is something up?” Kyungsoo asks, eyebrows furrowed. His phone buzzes in his pocket, but he ignores it to keep looking at Jongdae. “Was it just me, or did Chanyeol seem super suspicious today?”

“You’re not the only one who got that vibe,” Baekhyun remarks. “The hell is his problem?”

Jongdae runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it. “I have no idea,” he says. “Look, why don’t we have this conversation somewhere else. I have stuff to tell you guys, and I don’t want to do it in here.”

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo readily agree, and the three of them head over to the Union, managing to find a table with outlets.

Jongdae slumps into the semi-comfortable armchair. “Okay, so I mentioned that I went to Chanyeol’s last night, right?”

“I seem to remember you saying something about that, yeah,” Kyungsoo says, plugging in his laptop. He opens it and immediately begins typing. “Don’t mind me, I’m listening.”

“Sure you are,” Baekhyun says, “Go on, Jongdae.”

“Right. So I messaged him on Grindr and asked if we could bang again, but not with those words. He said to come earlier so we could eat dinner, which we did.”

“Okay this is starting to sound more like a date,” Baekhyun comments.

“I know, right?” Jongdae says, and crosses his legs. “Then obviously we had sex, and it was great. But after he asked if I wanted to watch a movie.”

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo says.

“So we showered together and then watched said movie, after which he asked if I wanted to stay over.”

Baekhyun’s mouth falls open. “You’re kidding.”

Jongdae shakes his head. “I’m really not. I stayed over, and we woke up together this morning. It was totally a date.”

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo says again. “It was definitely a date.”

“Yeah. And then he was weird in class. And his dog is cute as fuck, and I’m definitely catching feelings.”

“Shit,” Baekhyun says. “This isn’t good.”

“No,” Jongdae says, pathetically, “It’s not. He’s major boyfriend material. I’ve always liked older men, and he has a cute dog, the cute dog’s name is Snickerdoodle, and she likes me. Hot-but-also-cute-and-nerdy math professor’s dog likes me.”

Kyungsoo lets out an incredulous laugh. “You’re so fucked.”

Jongdae heaves a sigh that he really hopes doesn’t sound lovesick. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “Naked mole rats don’t feel pain.” Jongdae and Baekhyun both stare at him. “What?” he says, “You told me to tell you something you don’t already know. Did you know that?”

“No?” Jongdae says slowly, giving him a side-eye.

“Then why all the complaining?”

Baekhyun interrupts. “And the winner of Non-sequitur of the Week goes to...” He gestures to Kyungsoo. “What the fuck, dude? How do you even know that?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “I did a project on them in fifth grade. Anyway. Jongdae, I really think you should talk to Chanyeol about this. Preferably in person.”

Jongdae whips out his phone. “You’re right, but something tells me he’s not going to want to do that. But I will try messaging him to see what he’s doing. Jesus fuck, just this morning everything was fine.”

Baekhyun grunts. “Plus you need to see if he’s on the same page. But if he’s the one who fed you dinner, then asked you to stay for a movie and then to stay over, I think he’s starting to catch feelings, too.”

“I can only hope,” Jongdae sighs wistfully, and this one was definitely lovesick.

\--

Chanyeol doesn’t reply to his message until around 5pm, but of course by that time Jongdae is already working, and he doesn’t get off until 9. So when he clocks out, he pulls out his phone to discover said message.

_chanyeol we need to talk_

_About what_

Upon discovering said message, he nearly screams. That bastard knows what, he’s just not willing to admit it.

“Trouble in paradise?” Brittney is sitting there with a goddamn smirk on her face, and Jongdae has never wanted to punch anyone this bad.

“Is your boyfriend out of jail yet, Brittney?” Jongdae says sweetly. “Oh, no, that’s a shame. Have fun in your apartment alone tonight.”

Brittney looks like she’s going to rip his head off, but luckily Kate comes back from the floor. “Brittney, I don’t give a shit about your baby daddy issues. Get your ass up and back to work. And Jongdae, good work today, but stop antagonizing her and get the fuck out of here.”

“Sure thing,” Jongdae says easily, and slips out the door. Every day he comes closer and closer to trying to find a different job, but his hours at the restaurant are so conveniently flexible.

He settles in for the bus ride back, whipping out his phone and messaging Chanyeol back.

_about how you cant seem to make eye contact with me in class without ripping your ballsack_

Chanyeol’s reply takes a few minutes.

_I dont really have anything to say to that_

Jongdae is seriously pissed, but decides to calm the fuck down.

_well never mind then_  
maybe it was just me  
anyway want to do something saturday night after i get off work 

_Jongdae_  
We really should stop this  
I could get fired, you could get expelled 

Oh, it’s this again? Jongdae really wants to throw his phone out the bus window but he can’t afford that, so instead he smashes his fingers against the keys.

_chanyeol_  
we’ve been over this before  
and you can’t kiss me like you did last night  
and then do this 

_Please leave last night out of it  
We absolutely should not be doing this_

_and i’m saying that it is impossible to leave last night out_  
we had dinner together  
and i know you enjoyed it, or you wouldn’t have let me stay over  
can we at least meet so i can talk to you in person 

Chanyeol’s reply comes ten minutes later when Jongdae is already at home.

_Im busy  
Maybe some other time_

Jongdae sets his phone down on his desk and kneads his eyes with his palms. If Chanyeol is going to be stubborn like this, he’ll just have to find some other way to solve the problem. For now, he has an obscene amount of writing to do.

\--

Wednesday in class is interesting. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are totally up to date, and both of them have even read all of the messages that Chanyeol has sent him on Grindr.

“I still can’t believe he basically flipped you off over text,” Baekhyun grumbles as Chanyeol walks into the room. All three of them glare at him, as he puts his papers down, and when he looks up and sees them, he flinches. “Asshole,” Baekhyun whispers, and it’s just loud enough for him to hear.

Luckily the students who usually sit in the front haven’t arrived yet, so Chanyeol is basically forced to reply. “Can I help you with something? Is the homework difficult?”

Baekhyun pauses. “Well, a little, but you know that’s not why I’m mad.”

Chanyeol crosses his arms. His sleeves are rolled up today, and if Jongdae wasn’t pissed, he’d be drooling over his visible veins. “There are some things in this world that we can’t have, and that happens to be one of them.”

Kyungsoo leans forward. “Oh, really? Because I seem to remember this one time called last Sunday night.”

Chanyeol visibly winces. “Could you keep it down a little?”

“Maybe if you could own up to your actions,” Kyungsoo says, twirling his pencil menacingly. If it was anyone else, it wouldn’t be menacing, but since it’s Kyungsoo, Jongdae is a little afraid that he’s going to get stabbed.

“I don’t--” Chanyeol starts, but then a gaggle of students walks in, and he stops himself. “Look, I’m sorry if the homework is hard, but if you guys really need help, you can come to office hours.”

“Oh, I’ll be doing that,” Kyungsoo says.

Jongdae gives him a frosty smile. “I expect we’ll be talking about it later.”

“Yes,” Chanyeol says slowly. “I’m sure?”

“I thought the homework was actually kind of easy?” Luna butts in, and the tenseness of the moment is broken.

\--

Jongdae is sprawled on his sofa on Thursday night, his laptop sitting open on the coffee table. Junmyeon is in his room, studying furiously for some exam, and Jongdae is desperately trying to think of a decent argument for the paper he should be writing.

Okay. He’ll take a short break and maybe when he focuses again something will come to him. He has already procrastinated by doing all of his other homework, but this is really the only thing that actually matters.

Pulling out his phone, he flicks through pages of apps. Twitter, fuck that, YouTube, he doesn’t feel like watching anything... Grindr.

Jongdae clicks on the app and it opens to his conversation with Chanyeol. Come to think of it, if Chanyeol really didn’t want to talk to him, he could have just blocked him on the app. He runs a hand through his hair, and decides to take a risk.

_if you didnt want to talk to me you could have just blocked me_

Chanyeol’s reply comes predictably quickly.

_Oh i didnt know you could do that_

Asshole. It’s pretty fucking obvious.

_riiiiight so why are you still talking to me_

Jongdae would like the world to know that he can be very stubborn in terms of getting what he wants.

_I cant figure out how  
How do i do that_

_look, asshole_  
you totally know  
just admit it  
you want to talk to me 

Chanyeol doesn’t reply right away this time, and Jongdae is worried that Chanyeol actually did block him, until he realizes that he wouldn’t be able to see Chanyeol’s profile if he had. But Chanyeol still hasn’t replied, so Jongdae picks up his laptop again and starts typing out his ideas for his thesis.

About fifteen minutes later, Jongdae receives:

_What if i do_

Jongdae chews on his lip. He needs to make sure Chanyeol can’t block him.

_then give me your number so we dont have to keep messaging over an app_

_What if someone sees_

_do you do anything illegal_  
who the hell is going to search your phone  
just dont include that im one of your students in your contact info  
jesus 

There’s another pause in messaging, but Chanyeol does finally reply.

_Its XXX XXX XXXXX_

Jongdae grins, then copy-pastes the number into his contacts. He debates texting Chanyeol something cheeky, but ultimately decides against it.

_hi there_

_Hey jongdae_

Jongdae resists the temptation to squeal. He’ll bite, he officially has feelings for Chanyeol.

_so you really do want to talk to me_

_You know what_  
Okay fuck it  
Yes i do 

_ooh, language_

_Stop_  
Youre ruining it  
No  
You know what  
Whats your address 

_why?  
its 1411 S. Rose, apt. 4A_

_Just hang on_

_okay?_

Jongdae shrugs. Well, if Chanyeol wants to call the police on his ass, that’s his problem.

When Chanyeol doesn’t reply to his message, he sets his phone down and picks up his laptop again, pulling up the word document he was working on.

Twenty minutes later he’s pulling his hair out over his transitions when someone knocks on the door. Jongdae lifts an eyebrow. He wouldn’t. There’s no fucking way.

He stands, and yells in Junmyeon’s general direction, “Myeon, were you expecting anyone?”

“No,” Junmyeon calls back. “Let me know if you need me, though.”

Holy fuck.

Jongdae stumbles towards the door, not even bothering to check the peephole. He fumbles with the doorknob, but manages to get it open, to find Chanyeol standing nervously at his doorstep.

“Holy fuck,” Jongdae says. “Why are you. What.”

“Look, I just...” Chanyeol runs a hand through his hair. He’s in a ratty pair of jeans, an old t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. It’s the most casual Jongdae has ever seen him. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Jongdae says numbly, and steps aside to allow Chanyeol to walk in and toe off his shoes.

He walks towards the middle of the room and Chanyeol follows him. They’re standing face to face, and Chanyeol looks very unsure of himself.

“Can I talk to you?” Chanyeol asks, rather unnecessarily.

“Yes, of course,” Jongdae replies, staring at him. “Want to start with why you’re here?”

Chanyeol rubs his eyes, and sighs. “I’m going to stop fighting it. I thought about everything, last night, and then today, when you were messaging me. I don’t want to block you. And as inappropriate as it is, it’s not fair to you that I keep denying I have feelings for you.”

“You... for me?” Jongdae is sure he looks like a goddamn goldfish.

“Yes,” Chanyeol says throatily. “You’re just so fucking cute, and snarky, and I even like your friends even though they hate me. Did you know Kyungsoo came to my office hours today, and threatened to shove my coffee mug up my ass?”

“I would say I was surprised, but I’m really not surprised,” Jongdae says, still kind of in shock. “That’s definitely a Kyungsoo thing to do.”

“Yeah, and after that, I still want to date you,” Chanyeol says, his fingers clenching the material of his jeans. “I feel like a goddamn teenager saying this, oh my god. And I don’t even know if you feel anything for me.”

Jongdae half snorts, half sobs a little. “Why would I be this stubborn if I didn’t?”

Chanyeol twitches. “Can I just, let me--” He reaches out and pulls Jongdae towards him, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Jongdae reciprocates, going up on his toes slightly so he can rest his chin comfortably on Chanyeol’s shoulder. He can feel Chanyeol’s heart beating through the thin material of his shirt, and it’s comforting to know he’s not the only one who’s a total mess.

After a while of just standing there in each other’s arms, rocking back and forth, Chanyeol pulls back. “I’m sorry, Jongdae,” he says, cradling Jongdae’s face in his hands. “For being a coward. I still don’t really like it, but I’m not going to deny what I feel anymore. Because it’s stupid.”

“I don’t blame you,” Jongdae says, tightening his arms around Chanyeol’s waist. “And it’s okay that we have to keep quiet about this for now. We can make it work.”

“God, I hope so,” Chanyeol mutters, and kisses Jongdae hard. They fall back onto the couch, tangled up in each other and Jongdae hasn’t felt this happy in quite a long time.

Ten minutes later Junmyeon walks into the room. “Hey Jongdae who was at the—oh. Hi there.”

They spring apart, and Jongdae winces. “Right, hey Junmyeon. So this is my boyfriend? Are we boyfriends now?” Chanyeol nods, giving him a small smile. “This is my boyfriend Chanyeol. Sorry about that?”

“No, it’s fine,” Junmyeon says, and there’s a slight edge of hysteria to his tone. “Hey, do I know you from somewhere?”

“Can’t imagine why you would,” Jongdae says, eyes wide. “Maybe you saw him at a store somewhere?”

“Yeah, probably,” Chanyeol says with a nod. “I have a very memorable face, or so I’ve been told.”

Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow for a second, but he shrugs. “Okay, well. Don’t defile the couch. I’m going to go back to studying.”

Jongdae waves him off, grinning. “We really avoided some shit there,” he sighs, leaning against Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol says, and he strokes Jongdae’s hair. “Can I... maybe make you dinner Sunday night? At my place, instead?”

“Hell yeah, you can.”

\--

EPILOGUE

Dating Chanyeol is strange. That should have been obvious, but Jongdae didn’t realize just how weird it would be. One of the stranger parts is class.

“Any questions?” Chanyeol-the-professor asks, and Jongdae has a question, but he feels like it would be kind of weird to ask. So he turns to Kyungsoo, who is sitting next to him.

“Can you ask him to go over that last step again?” Jongdae mutters. “I don’t get it.”

Kyungsoo turns to him, eyes wide. “No. You ask.”

“But it’s so weird?” Jongdae hisses.

“Do you have a question?” Chanyeol asks, eyebrows raised. Jongdae winces. Damn them for sitting in the second row, but by now the unofficial seating chart of the classroom has been decided and going by the college social rulebook, sitting anywhere else now would result in some disgruntled classmates.

“Can you go over that last part again?” he asks in a weak voice. “I don’t really understand the why.”

Chanyeol nods. “Sure. This can be a little confusing, so everyone, if you’re unsure, pay attention.” Jongdae is pretty impressed with Chanyeol’s ability to maintain professionalism, though he feels that might come with being a professor and having experience in public speaking. And also age.

But he really isn’t sure how Chanyeol can keep a straight face today especially, seeing as just this morning he was pounding Jongdae into his bed.

Jongdae gives a small cough, trying to keep his cheeks and ears from turning red. Anyway.

\--

Another issue is the age difference between them, Jongdae realizes, as he stares down at Chanyeol still snoring away in bed Saturday morning. If they go to bed really late, Chanyeol will without a doubt sleep in.

“Chanyeol,” he says quietly, nudging him. “Wake up. It’s ten.”

Chanyeol just grumbles and turns over.

Jongdae sighs. “Chanyeol,” he says a little louder. There’s no response. Well, if Jongdae has to suck his dick to wake him up, whose fault is it, really? Not Jongdae’s, that’s for sure.

Peeling back the covers, he scoots down the bed so he’s between Chanyeol’s legs. He manages to tug his underwear down his legs without waking him up, which is both a good and a bad thing.

Chanyeol’s dick is soft, but Jongdae decides that he can work with that. He reaches up, keeping an eye on Chanyeol’s face, and pumps him a few times, waiting for some kind of response. The only one he gets is Chanyeol’s eyelids twitching.

Jongdae sighs. Might as well get started. He sucks on the tip of Chanyeol’s dick, flicking his tongue around wherever he can.

“Hhnnnnwwhat the fuck,” Chanyeol moans, and Jongdae grins.

“Morning, beautiful,” he says, jerking Chanyeol a few times to get him harder. “It’s 10am. Rise and shine.” He opens his mouth and sucks Chanyeol down, prompting a hand on the back of his head and a groan from Chanyeol.

“Holy fuck, is it really 10?” Chanyeol asks, tugging on Jongdae’s hair a little.

Jongdae just hums, and continues sucking him off. He’ll keep in mind that this is an effective way to get Chanyeol out of bed.

\--

Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo are working on a group project in Jongdae’s apartment. It’s a rare Saturday evening off for him, so they’ve decided to make use of their time to get some work done.

“Who in fuck assigns group papers anymore?” Baekhyun complains, slamming the novel he’d been reading on the table. “It’s ridiculous; the individual products would have been much better than this piece of shit.”

“While I do agree with you, if you believe that our paper is piece of shit, then perhaps you should make some suggestions to rectify that,” Kyungsoo says, a little bite to his tone. Jongdae really doesn’t want this to turn into a full blown fight between them. Those can get painful very quickly.

Baekhyun groans. “No, dumbass, everything is fine, it’s just that our writing styles are completely different. You use certain language and patterns, and mine are different, and Jongdae’s are different from both of ours. And unless one person wants to rewrite the whole thing, we’re stuck like this.”

“Baekhyun is kinda right about this one, sorry, Soo,” Jongdae says, wincing. “It’s definitely not as cohesive as it could be.”

Kyungsoo looks up at them, then back at the document pulled up on his laptop. He scrolls a little, reading. “Dammit, you guys are right. The hell are we going to do about this?”

“Compromise?” Baekhyun says, shrugging. “Maybe if we just worked out our transitions really well, and mellowed out our tones. Kyungsoo, stop being so matter of fact, Jongdae quit it with the flowery stuff, and I’ll stop with my analogies.”

“Hey, our professor likes my flowery writing!” Jongdae protests, halting his typing.

“Yeah, when we’re not doing an intense literary analysis. I think you can lay off for one paper,” Kyungsoo snorts.

“Alright, fine. Calm down, Beyoncé.”

It’s at this moment that someone knocks at Jongdae’s apartment door. He heaves a sigh and stands up. “I swear, if Junmyeon forgot his key again, I’m going to pee on everything he loves.”

Jongdae opens the door to find Chanyeol standing there.

“Hi?” It’s difficult for a 31-year-old man to look like a kicked puppy, but Chanyeol is doing a damn good job.

Jongdae sighs. “Chanyeol, you really have to stop doing this thing where you come over unannounced. What if I wasn’t here? Or in the shower and couldn’t answer the door or something?”

Chanyeol smiles awkwardly. “Well I kind of assumed because you told me you were going to be at home most of today?”

Stepping aside to let Chanyeol in, Jongdae shuts the door behind him with his foot. “Yeah, but as you can see,” he says, gesturing to his kitchen table, “Kyungsoo and Baekhyun are here to work on a project with me. Which, you have to admit, is a little awkward.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have paused in their actions and are staring at Chanyeol.

“Hey?” Chanyeol says to them. “Started on the math homework yet?”

“No,” Baekhyun says slowly. “You know, as nice as you look in dress shirts and slacks, the fitted t-shirt and jeans aren’t bad, either.”

“I’m a normal person on the weekends,” Chanyeol mumbles. “I get out of my element sometimes, too.”

“Yeah but this is just weird,” Kyungsoo says, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. “Your presence is a lot less... commanding? when you’re not in the front of a classroom.”

“Alright, we get it, calm your tits,” Jongdae grumbles. “Chanyeol, you can stay or go or whatever, but we really do need to work on this project. I don’t have a lot of free time and this is due in a few weeks.”

Chanyeol plops down in the only available chair left at the table and rests his elbows on the edge. “I’d like to stay, I guess?”

“Sorry,” Jongdae says, grimacing at the mess of books and papers spread across the tabletop. “We’re not the neatest people when we’re writing.”

“It’s fine,” Chanyeol says, and picks up one of the books on the table. “Nathaniel Hawthorne? I think I’ve read something by him.”

“Probably _The Scarlet Letter_ ,” Kyungsoo says, going back to typing. He looks over at one of the packets near him, and reads. “It’s one of his more famous works.”

“Personally I like ‘Feathertop,’” Baekhyun says, and hunches over in approximation of some old fuck. “Dickon, another coal for my pipe!” he cackles.

“Mmhm, but what about ‘The Birthmark’?” Jongdae asks, cracking his knuckles. “It’s so creepy you can’t help but love it.”

“Point, but you cannot deny the literary merit of ‘Young Goodman Brown,’” Kyungsoo adds in. “His innocence, and then the buildup?”

“Of course you’d like the boring one,” Jongdae scoffs.

“Are you guys alienating me on purpose?” Chanyeol asks, putting the book down. “I get the feeling that you’re alienating me on purpose.”

“Nooo, we wouldn’t do that,” Baekhyun says, going back to his keyboard and writing a few sentences, which Kyungsoo promptly deletes on their shared document. “You should hear Kyungsoo go on about _Where the Red Fern Grows_ \-- hey, asshole, quit deleting my shit!”

“You’re not allowed to use the word ‘discourse’ anymore,” Kyungsoo says, scratching his nose. “Explain it a different way, and I’ll let you write about that.”

“Fine, dickwad,” Baekhyun growls, and goes back to furiously typing.

“So you’re telling me you’re always like this?” Chanyeol asks, eyes a little wider than usual. “Constantly at each other’s throats?”

“Have you seen us in class? I mean, I’m angry about this project right now, so that’s a contributing factor,” Jongdae admits, rifling through the mass of paper to find that one piece on Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“You’ll just have to learn to fit in,” Baekhyun says cheerfully, snatching a paper out of Chanyeol’s hands. “Just please don’t talk to me during class, because I’m having a hard time separating things already.”

“You’re having a hard time? Imagine how it is for me!”

Jongdae snorts, and they all look over at him.

“Jongdae, you’ll keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you,” Chanyeol warns.

Baekhyun shudders. “Yeah, please do. I really don’t want to hear about your sex life. I get enough just hearing about Kyungsoo’s current situation.”

“Speaking of which,” Kyungsoo says. “I have an update on that.”

“Can it wait until dinner?” Jongdae asks. “I really do want to work on this.”

“Yeah, sure. Chanyeol, would you feel weird staying for dinner?” Kyungsoo asks, turning to face him.

Chanyeol shakes his head. “As long as you guys are okay with it, I’m fine.”

“Well, good, because I’m not leaving,” Baekhyun says. “Now get back to work, guys. We have a deadline. Chanyeol, go... watch TV or something.”

\--

A few hours later they’re about a third of the way through the project, and Jongdae sits back in his seat. “You guys think that’s enough for now, or should we keep going?” Kyungsoo just grunts from where he has his nose buried in some book without its dust jacket.

“I think we’re good,” Baekhyun says, stretching. He yawns, and pulls his shirt down from where it had rode up. “Also, damn, I’m hungry.”

“I’m hungry too,” Chanyeol calls out from where he’s been lying on the sofa reading some book he found underneath it. “Food would be nice.”

“I’m not cooking,” Kyungsoo says, turning a page.

“Well, Baekhyun can’t cook, and I don’t feel like it either, so we could order something?” Jongdae suggests, getting up to get a glass of water.

“Pizza,” Baekhyun says dreamily. “No, wait, let’s get high first then order.”

“I’m going to have to draw the line there,” Chanyeol comments. “Dating one of my students is bad enough. I don’t want to get caught getting high with a group of them as well.”

“Aw, come on, nothing wrong with a little of the devil’s cabbage. Kyungsoo here--”

Kyungsoo cuts Baekhyun off. “Would be happy to remain sober for the entirety of Chanyeol’s stay. Later, Baek.”

Baekhyun makes a pouty face that he knows gets on Kyungsoo’s nerves, and Jongdae kicks him. The last thing they need is Chanyeol realizing Kyungsoo is a dealer, albeit a small one. “Yeah, hush. You eat too much while high, anyway.”

Chanyeol whips out his phone. “So I’ll just order, then? Jongdae, I’ll pay for you, but you guys?”

“I’ve got money in my wallet, no problem,” Kyungsoo says, and kicks his feet up on the table. “Lemme know how much.”

When the pizza arrives, they clear off the table and sit down to eat. Jongdae has absolutely no idea where Junmyeon is, but he really hopes that he doesn’t require the use of their kitchen table in the next three hours.

“So,” Baekhyun says, his mouth full, “Kyungsoo, wanna tell us a story?”

Kyungsoo reaches over and shuts his mouth for him. “You’re disgusting. And no.”

“He’s talking about Soojung and Jongin,” Jongdae helpfully supplies. “We want to hear about that.”

“Could I get some backstory first, though?” Chanyeol says, looking a little lost. “Who are Soojung and Jongin?”

Kyungsoo heaves a sigh, and Jongdae grins. “Claim your pizza now before Baekhyun eats it,” he says. “Take your time. I really want to hear the whole thing again.”

“So it started this summer when Soojung and I were working on a project to help make the campus greener. It’s just us and two other people, so obviously our meetings are pretty intimate, right?” 

Jongdae nods, sitting back in his seat and taking a bite out of a slice. “Which makes it understandable that you got to know her really well.”

“Right,” Kyungsoo says, smacking Baekhyun’s hand away from his food. “Soojung is basically goddess level in looks, and she seems like an ice princess at first, but once you get to know her she’s really sweet.”

“But the problem is she has a boyfriend, because duh,” Baekhyun grins, swirling his pizza crust in a cup of ranch dressing. Jongdae gags; Baekhyun is truly disgusting at times.

“That sounds like an issue,” Chanyeol remarks.

Baekhyun nearly bounces in his seat. “Sshhhh, wait, it gets better. Or worse, depending on how you look at it.”

“She kept bringing up her boyfriend,” Kyungsoo said, resting his elbows on the table. “And I was disappointed, because I thought I had absolutely no chance. But then I met Jongin, and we exchanged numbers, which was weird at first.”

“I love this part,” Baekhyun says happily.

“Shut up. So I wasn’t really sure, but it felt like he was flirting with me. And then one night Soojung and Jongin invite me over to her apartment to watch a movie, and Jongin sat down in between us, which I thought was a normal thing to do, but then Jongin kissed me during the movie.” Kyungsoo kneads his eyes. “And then I ran off.”

Chanyeol looks rather bewildered. “Really.”

“Yep,” Baekhyun says. “I believe this was the night you and Jongdae had dinner together for the first time.”

“My university life was never this wild,” Chanyeol says weakly. “Also how do you know about that?”

“The list of things I haven’t told them is shorter than the list of things that I have,” Jongdae advises. “Just hush, this is the part I haven’t heard yet.”

“Right,” Kyungsoo says. “So after ignoring them for a bit, I texted back and asked to maybe do that again, so they had me over for dinner and we discussed a lot of things. Apparently Jongin and Soojung are pretty open about relationship stuff? Like they wanted another person, and Soojung had a thing for me over the summer?”

“I knew I wasn’t reading it wrong,” Baekhyun cuts in. “Keep going, though.”

“Yeah. Uh, and then after we met, Jongin agreed with her? So they’ve been messing with me this whole time,” Kyungsoo says with a tone of finality.

Jongdae narrows his eyes. “Is that it?” He has a feeling there’s a little more Kyungsoo isn’t saying.

“Yeah, did you guys bang?” Baekhyun asks eagerly.

“I’m having second thoughts,” Chanyeol says. Jongdae pats his knee comfortingly. “I am way too old to be hanging out with you.”

“Yes, oh my god,” Kyungsoo groans, hands over his face. “We did. Okay? It was great.”

Baekhyun lets out a whoop and does a victory lap around the living room, and Kyungsoo just glares at, then digs into, his pizza.

“Congrats,” Jongdae says, grinning at him. “How were Jongin’s dancer hips? Also, you need to invite them over.”

“I hate this,” Kyungsoo says, his voice muffled with pizza. “We’re going to try things out for a while before we make it official, but it’s good so far.”

“My Kyungsoo is all grown up,” Baekhyun coos.

Chanyeol then gracefully changes the subject, and it’s even better when they realize that he has several TV shows in common. Jongdae sits back and watches as his much older boyfriend gets along with his friends, and he grins. This turned out better than expected.

\--

Finals pass by in a flash, and to Jongdae’s surprise, all three of them have managed to pass Chanyeol’s class, doing better than expected. But with both the others going home for the holidays, Jongdae is stuck with three weeks of absolute boredom until the spring semester.

Or so he thought, he grumbles as he gets up to check the door. Did Junmyeon forget something before he left this morning?

“Hey,” Chanyeol says, grinning.

“I really should have expected this,” Jongdae says, laughing this time. “Seriously, warn me. I’m still in my pajamas.

“It’s noon?”

“Ooh, and who’s going to stop me? The pajama police?”

“Well, no,” Chanyeol says, running a hand through his hair. “But since the semester is over, would you like to go out for lunch? On an official date?”

Jongdae smiles. “Let me go change.”

**Author's Note:**

> t h a n k s for reading frend, i really appreciate it. if you got any of the super obscure references i added in, then congrats.
> 
> For reference, naked mole rats truly do not feel pain. They also don't get cancer.


End file.
